Meetings, Memory, & More

A few times the past couple days, I've heard Judah ask Elijah to "come to the meeting." I asked him once what he was talking about. He explained that it was a pretend meeting by their dresser, but I couldn't discover a reason for the meeting. :-)

Proof that a kid's memory is better than we anticipate: Judah is 3. We do watch some TV, but not a whole lot. Mostly a little news in the morning, an occasional cooking show, and sometimes nightly news and the "letter game" (Wheel of Fortune). The rest is all kid shows. So they are not really exposed to many commercials geared for adults. BUT... Last night, we had the TV muted during commercials while watching the letter game. Judah was half-playing, half-paying attention to the TV. A Geico commercial came on, one without the typical spokespeople. At the very end, the word "Geico" came on screen, and Judah blurted out "Guy-co!" He knew what it was simply by the look of their logo. No audible words necessary. And he's 3. I wonder how many other logos he would know by now. I know there's been studies done on this, but I've not heard of any that used 3 year olds who don't watch a ton of TV as their subjects. :-P

Elijah says SO much now! You can carry on conversations with the kid! He shocked Matt the other day at dinner by saying "five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!" He's shocked me by regularly recognizing the letters A, B, and E. He can say tons of sentences loud and clear that it's almost getting the point of not having much cuteness to translate and tell about! But here are a few things that are still cute...

Fire Druck: fire truck (and sometimes the "truck" doesn't sound so kosher...)
Eatmahl: oatmeal
Foo tee-ohs: fruity cheerios
Sooz me: excuse me
Bah-po: pillow (took me a while to figure this one out)

Judah is starting to plan things out (even saying "here's the plan") and used the word "loudly" correctly yesterday. Many hand gestures to go along with his conversations, too! Cute, funny, and scary!

Cuteness

For about a week or so, Judah has been sweetly saying "Excuse me, My Dear" when he wishes to speak to me while I am in the middle of something. I think he has figured out that it melted my heart the first time and generally tends to get my attention more rapidly than "Mommy...mommy...mommy..."

Yesterday morning, I was changing Elijah out of his pajamas. He found his nipple, as all curious kids do at one point or another. He started pointing from nipple to belly button saying, "Small bee-bo...big bee-bo...small bee-bo...big bee-bo..." Too cute!

Judah really loves to have oatmeal with "crasberries" (dried cranberries) in the morning for "breh-bress" to warm him up. And he loves to help Daddy use a "screw-scriver" when they are being Bob the Builders. He does talk SUPER well for a 3 year old, but there are a few words I choose not to correct because they're just so cute. I mean, he's gotta have SOME words in his vocabulary that still sound like a little kid,, right??

Elijah has a thing for socks. He often takes them off his own feet as well as other people's feet. A recent episode: He quickly slipped baby Peter's socks off and bolted to the other room to shove them under a pillow for safe hiding. And though Elijah's small and built, this kid can really move fast when he's getting away from you! And he thinks he's so clever and cute when he does it, too. And he's right!

Cute-isms

Judah

He had Skittles for the first time last night. He loves them. And he calls them "crystals."

You can be praying for Judah. The last couple weeks he has had some pretty deep questions for a three year old that are exciting and serious at the same time. Questions about what happens to parts of your body when you die (what happens to your lungs? can you talk when you die?). Questions about guns (what is a gun? can it make you die?). Questions about hell and heaven (where is the fire at? Jesus is in heaven?). And he really is starting to seemingly take in our talks with him about the sin in his heart. So be praying for soft, rich soil for us to continue planting seeds in. We do desire him to know Jesus personally at an early age, but the LAST thing either of us wants is for him to grow up with all the right knowledge and behaviors without the heart firmly rooted in Christ -- the biggest trap of growing up in a Christian home that both Matt and I experienced.

Elijah

He also had Skittles for the first time last night. I gave them to him one at a time and watched closely to be sure all was ok. All of the sudden, as he was munchin' along, yellow drool started running down his chin. That candy turned on his salivary glands full force! At one point, he shook his head no and spit was flying. Ever seen Turner and Hooch? :-) Needless to say, he likes the Skittles. I do, too, actually......

Last post revealed that he says "No yike it." Well, he's started a new game with that. This is how it goes:

Lij: No yike it.
Me: You don't like it?
Lij: I DOOO yike it!!....No yike it.
Me: Aww, you don't like it?
Lij, with a sly grin: I DOOO yike it!!

hih-muh-muh-mus: hippopotamus
sahk: shark
stine: Little Einstein
dez sumping wong, Mommy: fuller phrase of "There's something wrong, Mommy"

E3

I had a dream a few nights ago that I felt the baby moving on the inside and outside of my tummy. I woke up in a half-stupor and realized I had my hands on my belly trying to feel the baby moving. That would never happen at 15 weeks! But I kept trying to feel...until I woke up all the way and realized how silly it was. But...

I felt the baby for the first time yesterday. I sat there quietly reading a book in the silent, sunshiny afternoon. I felt tiny little "twitches" in my lower left tummy. To be frank for a moment, a seasoned preggo will wait for gas bubbles to pass in order to know if it was truly the baby or something else. But time went on, and I kept feeling the little flutters without any other results. That's when you know it's the baby. :-) I've been waiting for this. Time to start cherishing this last pregnancy even more!

Familyisms

Since my last post, alot has happened. But since I only have a few readers, I know you all know the big ticket items like pregnancy, family visits, and such. :-) Just a cute little update for journaling purposes...

Mattism

Last night, I desperately needed to pop my back after sitting for too long at small group. My back hasn't really cooperated with me lately when I need to pop it, so I wasn't expecting anything great. I twisted to my right, and CRAAAAAAACK! All the way from top to bottom! Boy, did it feel wonderful! Unfortunately, it was also loud. A few who heard it gasped in shock and/or disgust. Well, anyone who is a back popper knows you can't do one side and not the other. So I twisted to my left to quickly finish, not really expecting much again. CRAAAAAACK! Wow. Ok! More gasps. Then Matt turns around and says to Robin and Emilee, "Would someone go find the king's horses and the king's men to put my wife back together again?" I'm still giggling over that. Must have just hit me right. He's got some quick wit, that man!

Dawnism

This morning, Matt and I got to have breakfast/news together before the boys woke up due to a late night last night. Matt poured himself some cereal and walked to the fridge for the milk. I got a mug down to pour myself a cup of coffee. As Matt was saying maybe he wouldn't have cereal because we are low on milk, I proceeded to pour coffee over his cereal rather than in my mug. I helped him decide not to have cereal and have yogurt instead. Wow. Gotta love those completely brainless moments!

Judahisms

"breh-bres" - still can't say breakfast :-)
"rabee-lolee" - ravioli (too bad he doesn't like it)
-The other day, I laid my head in his lap and said "Can I snuggle in your lap and take a nap?" He looked down with an astute stare and frankly said, "This is not a pillow." ::shock:: Ok then.
-When I lay him down for his nap, give him a kiss, and say "I love you," he likes to say "See you in the mean train." Ok. Whatever, silly boy. :-)
-I now understand how irritating it must have been for my mom when I wanted to watch shows or movies over and over and over and over and over. Fireman Sam, if I have to watch you save the day one more time.......
-Judah's favorite color is red. Make no mistake.

Elijahisms

-"sumping wong" - something is wrong (said in the most precious high pitched voice)
-"I do it" - no translation needed
-"no yike it" - I don't like it.
-This kid is really starting to talk. I "read" a colors book with him the other day that has all sorts of picutres in it. He can pretty much repeat whatever you ask him to! I had no idea he could say so many words. "Avacado" is pretty cute to hear. It's still different for us to watch his speech develop because he is much different than Judah who talked early and very clearly. But it's very cute and endearing at the same time. It's getting to the point where occasionally I find that I don't need to translate for someone else. That kinda pulls at the heart strings -- it means he's growing up.
-Elijah is showing signs of organization and cleanliness. He will take his shoes and socks off, shove his socks into his shoes, and then put them on the shoeshelf -- all without being asked. He lines up cars in a perfect row. He places stickers one directly on top of the other (Judah lines them up in a row). Puzzles have to be complete. He separates cars from trains and places them in their proper boxes. Just fascinating. We're still working on mealtime cleanliness and skill, but he is really growing by leaps and bounds in that area compared to where he used to be. Praise the Lord! :-P
-He is our little engineer. He shoves things in places they don't belong to see what happens (great). He takes things apart, looks them over, and puts them back together. He builds really great towers with his legos...and will sit there for a long time quietly working on it without getting frustrated (unlike Judah).
-Elijah sometimes likes me to rock and sing to him at night. If I just rock him without singing, he leans back, points to my lips, and quietly says "Seen" (sing).
-He is very good at bringing Judah down when they wrestle. Beef vs. String Bean. Judah's gonna have to rely on agility, I'm pretty sure. 'Lij? He'll just sit on you. And yet he still weighs a couple pounds less than Judah. It's ALL in how you carry your weight!!

Baby E3isms

-While talking today with my little sis about what animal we'll choose if E3 is a boy, I realized something very cool. While the boys were still in my womb, we picked out what animal we wanted them each to grow up with. We chose a lion for Judah...and his personality is social, hot tempered, and in charge. We chose a monkey for Elijah...and his personality is playful, mischievious, and adorable. Odd how that worked out perfectly. Makes me nervous to pick one for the third boy (if it's a boy!) If it's a girl, butterfly hands down. Purple with probably green and either white or brown accents. I don't mind pink, but don't drown us with it please! We're way too used to boy stuff around here!

-Speaking of doing butterflies if E3 is a girl, I found the PERFECT quote that will go in "her" room. "If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies" (author unknown). How awesome is that?? If we have a girl, everything will change around here. And if we don't have a girl, I don't get to have a butterfly baby. Change = butterfly baby! :-D That makes my heart happy.

-I'm waiting to feel E3 any day now. I felt Judah at 17 weeks, and Elijah was at 14. So we'll see!

Uncanny

I was reading John 11 this afternoon during the boys' naptime. That's the chapter that tells about when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. I was just about to get to the part where Martha explains to Jesus that Lazarus would stink because he'd been dead for several days. All of the sudden, breaking the afternoon quiet, Judah yelled out from his room, "PEEE-YEEEEW!" And then silence.

The boy said that in his sleep.

Question: What are the odds he would yell that particular expression out -- in his sleep -- as I was just about to read about a stinking dead body???

Morning Funnies

Last night, I went to pick up a youth from her work. Judah was already in bed but heard me leaving. He called out to ask where I was going. I told him I was going to pick up CC but would be back soon. Then I heard, "Get soft tacos!"

As Judah lay in bed with me while I tried to shake the groggies away, I asked him if he remembered his verse from Sunday school. We then started talking about who Jesus' Father is and that His mother was a lady named Mary. I have no idea why, but he started asking if Mary danced. I said I didn't know. Then Judah said, "Jaclyn danced at her wedder [wedding]." Yes, yes she did. :-)

As I was washing my face, Judah was "cooking" me some breakfast in their play kitchen. After bringing me a hamburger with a side of cracker, he said he would get me a treat. Ice cream...he specified it would be in a "pinecone." Hmm.

Elijah says:

Momess: Thomas
Mope: closest I can get to typing out how he says "milk"
Joos: juice
Hope: help
Behbess: Breakfast (also refers to all other meals)
Nack: snack
Rah: rock

And I think he said his first official complete sentence last night. Unfortunately, it was "Don't pray, Daddy." :-P He wanted to pray first!

All Prettified

So, in looking at a friend's beautiful looking blog, I found The Cutest Blog on the Block. Too cool! Yeah for a prettified blog! Check it out for yourself!

Sugary Cereal or Peaches?

Throughout each passing day, I find myself thinking of more and more analogies for the spiritual life. Today's was brought on by having Cinnamon Streusal Mini-Wheats and a peach for breakfast. The cereal was quite tasty and sweet, as was the peach. No one would argue which is better for your body -- the peach, of course. Natural vitamins, sugars, and fiber as opposed to the sugar-infused, added-vitamins fiber cereal. I ate the cereal first and then began chomping on the peach. To my surprise, the first bite of peach was QUITE bitter. The second a little less bitter, the third even less bitter, and so on. After several bites, the peach was what I considered juicy, succulent, and perfectly peachy-sweet. A drastic change from that first post-cereal bite of peach.

And then the analogy came.

We so often gorge ourselves on the things this world has to offer -- TV, video games, books, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc. But how often do we reach for God's Word or spend time with Him in prayer? It's so easy to get out of practice with the latter and so easy to fall into hours of practice with the former. And what always happens when we've immersed ourselves in worldy things and recognize we need to shape up and start spending our time where it is most needed? It doesn't taste good! Our selfish flesh fights against focusing on what is right. We experience the bitterness of conviction and failure. The taste is bitter, but the nutrients are still good for us. After a while, if we are disciplined and persevere, our spirit starts winning over our flesh and time with God and His Word is sweet and desirable.

If only we'd eat the Peach first, then we'd enjoy EVERY nutritious bite...and perhaps not be so thrilled with the sugary cereal of the world.

Recent Cuteness

Judah ran up to me yesterday afternoon and hugged my leg while saying, "I'm so glad I have a Mom and Dad." ::warm fuzzies::

Judah looked at Norah during breakfast this morning and said, "Her cheeks are getting bigger!"

Elijah says...

Roh: roll
Wee-bit: ribbit
Za date: the gate
Ope: help
Doo-joo: Judah
Hoo-oo: the name for his blue monkey

Elijah really likes pushing Norah in the stroller. He pushes while I guided. Made me think of a great analogy! It is our responsibility to keep pushing forward in our Faith, and it is God's responsibility to guide us if we are His. When we try to steer away from where God is guiding, we get stuck and risk hurting ourselves and others!

While playing in the GORGEOUS low humidity this morning, I saw several cicada exoskeltons, so I took the opportunity to teach the boys a little. I explained that there is a bug that comes out of his shell, and that the shell was empty but looked like the bug. Judah mentioned he saw a green bug "over dere" and took me to it. Sure enough -- it was a cicada that had JUST molted! His wings were still crumpled up, so there was no fear of him flying at us or away. We watched him every so often and helped him get on the grass rather than the sidewalk. I kept explaining that his wings needed to dry and uncurl. The last time we checked on him, Judah was able to see big wings! He got to see the change. A good science lesson for today! :-)

Memory & Fear

Yesterday, I was sitting with the boys eating lunch at the dining room table as usual. It became overcast and the wind picked up to a gentle breeze. Nothing more. And yet, as I dined, I kept feeling strange things well up inside me. After a while I realized they were memories. Quite vivid memories of last fall...when the tree fell against our house. I tried to push each memory aside and calm the trace amount of physical feelings of fear that the memories were causing. I reminded myself that my mom told me it will take years to not be quite so antsy about trees falling (she speaks from personal experience). It was an odd sensation, to be sure. It's been almost a year. Everything is fine. It was a tropical storm, not just a gentle breeze, that took the tree down. But, oh the power of human memory!

God is good to give us memory -- we would be useless without it. Memory ranges from faulty to so perfect you can live through the past as if it were happening again...all in your mind. It can be used for us to help us succeed in academics, relationships, life in general, and especially in our spiritual walk. But, if allowed to fall into the wrong hands (aka Satan), it can easily be used against us. In my case, I'm learning that memory of certain situations can lead to present fear. It took me a couple months (or more) to not be affected by trees blowing in the wind. Once I didn't feel the fear anymore, I thought I was over that life hurdle. Apparently not. Because it is still in my memory which will be with me for life. It can therefore be used against me to tempt me into sins of not trusting God's sovereign control, His goodness, His protection, His will. After all, isn't this mistrust of God just a different label for "fear"? A better label, in fact?

So even though I remember details like...

• Who was sitting where in the dining room
• The timing of Matt's exit from the kitchen
• Being so paralized by shock and fear that I just stood there rather than grab a son and run for the other end of the house
• The bite of ravioli and marinara that I held in my mouth for about 2 minutes without realizing it because my fear was so great
• The gasps for air in an attempt to fill extremely frightened lungs
• Our family falling to the floor in a heap by the front door with two screaming, crying boys and two shaking, crying parents
• Being able to say nothing but "Thank You, Lord" over and over and over
• Justin coming over to help Matt cut the limbs off the house, sweep up the enormous amount of glass, and board up the window
• Making pbj sandwiches in the living room with shaking hands since we couldn't finish our glass-sharded ravioli
• Feeling faint in heart at laying my youngest son down for a nap upstairs while it was still storming -- what if the tree falling wasn't over?
• Taking my still-scared oldest son to the grocery store to get him (and me) out of the house

...and I must stop there. Even though I remember it so vividly, I must always force my will and emotions to remember God had a purpose in it all, He can be trusted fully, and He is good. There is no fear in the Light. Only in Darkness. And since I am in the Light, I need not fear anything.

Perhaps bad memories are good afterall. If we are open to God's leading, we learn good lessons when bad situations happen. And each time our memory replays that event, we are reminded of the best lessons learned -- the ones that taught us more about how fragile we are and how awesome God is.

Halfway through Safely Home

I had to quit reading today because I was so overcome with desire to see Jesus, to hug him and feel his warm embrace. I'd say that is the DEEPEST spiritual desire of mine. Sure, I want to follow Christ, be like Him, be a good servant...but I really just want to finally BE with Him. Yes, rid of sin. But more, resting with HIM. Not just in Him like I do here. But WITH Him. Mmmm.

It also reminded me, once again, how rarely I remember there is spiritual battle waged at every moment all over the globe. That there is so much more than just what my eyes can see. I so often forget. My eyes don't go often enough beyond the physical -- an easy human trap. Everything we do has impact in both the physical and spiritual worlds. If that's not motivation to be more like Christ, I don't know what is.

I also remember how brainwashed we are to be "tolerant" in America. So much that we assume other countries are as tolerant -- well, those of us who haven't traveled outside the US much. ;-) It is so hard to imagine this kind of persecution happening daily to real people who have the Answer.

Beauty and the Beast

There is one movie I will always love no matter how old I get. The boys and I watched most of it this morning (I skip some parts). I thought I'd share a few highlights as it was a fun and special time for us.




-Judah calls it "Pew-tee & da Beasss."

-When Belle walked out of her home at the beginning, Judah said, "She looks like Mommy!"

-I love how my boys love to snuggle. I have two arms and two sides for two little boys to snuggle up close!

-I got an insatiable urge to color while watching. Made me remember my childhood days of coloring pretty dresses and Disney princesses. :-)

-Beauty and the Beast is a great movie to emphasize that "A soft answer turns away wrath." Judah was noticing as the movie went on that "He's [Beast] not angry anymore." I told him that Belle's kindness was helping Beast not be as angry. Her soft voice was calming him down...the same is true in real life when we use kind speech seasoned with grace when talking with Mommy, Daddy, or Elijah. Soft answers help others not be angry.

-Elijah loves for me to hold him and dance cheek to cheek during "Tale as Old as Time." He does it for the entire song and especially loves the twirls.

-At the end, we often have to explain why Beast and Gaston are fighting. When Gaston fell, Judah said he wasn't angry anymore. I told him the reason Gaston fell was because he wouldn't leave Beast alone and was very angry at Beast. Anger leads to ruin and only hurts people. Judah said of Gaston, "He needs Jesus." ::sigh of contentment:: I love little snippets of proof that Matt and I are succeeding in our goal to raise kids who understand and love Christ even if we fail to be perfect parents.

Divin' In

WOAH, you say. Me, too! I finally looked into a spiffy blogger template since I keep seeing some pretty awesome one's out there...and kept wondering how on earth people get them. Duh -- Google search. So, welcome to the new look for my blog! I may keep retitling it until I settle on what strikes my fancy. :-)

Thought for Today

Our pastor is currently doing a series on the Life of Elijah. Sure, Bible stories we've heard since we were kids. But it is so different hearing it as an adult from a preacher rather than a 6 year old from a sweet teacher. The current topic in Elijah's life is that he was a man of pure devotion. Yesterday was all about the story when Elijah went up against 450 prophets of Baal. Looking at each aspect of that contest shows just how powerful and serious it was. One particular focus got Pastor fired up and really shocked me with realization. After the prophets had been carrying on for several hours, Elijah mocked them. He used biting sarcasm as he encouraged them to call out louder to their god -- and attacked Baal directly. What courage it took to do that! He, one man, was mocking 450 hyped up zealots of Baal while an entire nation looked on.

Now, in today's society, we are taught directly and indirectly not to offend others. To be politically correct. Take into account how others might feel if you say or do [whatever]. And never attack someone else for who they are or what they believe. But Elijah did just that -- and it was commended in Scripture, looked well upon by God Almighty. Nothing is recorded against Elijah for what he said to the prophets of Baal. In fact, God instantly answered Elijah's prayer full tilt as soon as the last word left Elijah's lips. He didn't take a minute to tell Elijah he should have been a little easier on the prophets.

Here's the point. We are called to destroy and refute anything raised up against the one true God (II Cor. 10:5). We are called to be courageous, confident, zealous, and boastful in the Lord. If my believing in Jesus Christ steps on someone else's toes, then so be it. He is more important than their feelings. In fact, He is so important that they should be thankful for a stubbed toe, repent, and be saved! Isn't their eternal destiny more important than how they'll feel if I thank Jesus Christ the Son of God when asked to pray publicly?

Sincerity in religion means nothing unless you are worshiping the one true God -- Creator of the Universe, Yahweh to Israel, and Father of Jesus Christ our Savior.

A Kid's Dream

This morning, Judah came in our room in typical fashion and snuggled in bed with me. After a while, this is what he said...

"There was a log coming down from the sky. It was going to touch the ground. Daddy used my green blanket to hit it, and it went away. ::long pause:: It had two mean eyes."

I asked him if it was a dream, and he said it happened "two months ago." I was more confused. I asked him if it was a tornado or if it was from a movie he has seen, trying to figure out why he would be talking about something like this. He said it was real. And that the log came off of a logging truck, came down from the sky, and was going to touch the ground. "And Daddy used your blanket to hit it away?" "No, he used MY blanket."

Um, ok?

**EDIT**
I THINK I FIGURED IT OUT! The other day, I let Judah watch the last cartoon on Fantasia 2000 which I had up to that point not been letting him watch due to intensity. The last cartoon is about a GREEN woodland fairy that looks sort of like a soft, flowy blanket. She battles a "firebird" that is dark with two mean red eyes and dives at the ground (which could look like a log coming down to the ground). In the end, the green blanket (the fairy) defeats the log with two mean eyes (the firebird). Fascinating. Perhaps we wont' be watching that one again for quite some time...

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At breakfast, Elijah saw that I had just eaten the last bite of my waffle. He said, "Mee-mee, done!" He still calls me Mee-mee, by the way. I've tried to correct him a few times, but it never takes. And I'm not sure I mind that it doesn't take. I'm growing to find Mee-mee sentimental. <3 I can't believe he'll be two in a few weeks!

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Poor Judah. All day yesterday, he complained of his legs aching. Last night he started running a low fever. This morning, he still has the same exact temperature, and his legs are VERY tender in the back. You barely push on it and he cries. Strained muscles? Growing pains? :-(

Judah Speak

Breh-bres: breakfast
Pop hoder: pot holder

No matter how many times I correct him, he sings two songs incorrectly.

Bob the Builder: Instead of "working together, they get the job done," he sings "boinging together, they get the job done."

ABC's: "...h, i, k, k, l, m, n, o, p..."

At lunch I was telling him how cool it will be when Jesus comes back to Earth, and we can see Him. Judah responded with, "When Daddy sins, he needs Jesus." :-P So I reminded Judah that when Mommy, Judah, and Elijah sin, we need Jesus, too.

An Elijah Antic

I heard the bathroom door open. I heard the toilet lid open. I heard some water splashing in the toilet bowl. I ran to the bathroom, knowing it had to be Elijah. (Judah doesn't randomly play with the toilet. It's not his style.) There Elijah was, bottle brush from the kitchen in hand, scrubbing the toilet. Monkey see, monkey misinterpret Momma's cleaning tools, then Monkey do.

Into the trash the bottle brush went. The handle was broken anyway. Thanks for the excuse to finally throw it away, Son!

Kiddish

Elijah's couple new words:

ah-ee: airplane
dah-ohm: thank you

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Judah's cutenesses:

After Daddy left this morning, Judah said of him, "I LUUUV him...he's my beeest driver." This may have been in reference to the Father's Day card Judah made. He wanted the "Life is a Highway" song on it (I think he likes the Hallmark commercial where the boy gives his dad a card that sings). So on the outside we wrote "Life is a highway..." and the inside said "...and I'm glad you're my driver." Hence the "...he's my beeest driver." :-)

Yesterday at lunch I told Judah I was going to make cookies for Daddy to take to work. He replied with "That's nice of you." Uh, thanks! :-)

A Thought for Today

Been pondering this today for a friend...

Mothering is sacrifice, pure and simple. Laying aside self to make sure that our children grow up with all the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual capacities and abilities that they need to function well in this world. And when you are doing that for more than one child at a time all day every day, that just compounds the sacrifice. Perhaps that is why Christ calls us to lay down our cross DAILY...because it is a daily struggle to live this life by ourselves, much more help several other people live theirs.

I've had many days where being a mom seems too much for me. And I'm SURE there will be many more. But I have a reminder all of us moms -- it will never be too much because this is what God has called us to. I Corinthians 10:13 promises that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able and that He will always provide us with a means of escape. There are MANY temptations present when mothering, and He knows that. He wants us to be moms. What a thought! And more, God Himself as the Holy Spirit lives inside our hearts every moment of every day. If that's not a way of escape, I don't know what is. When all other escapes fail, He will not. We just have to take His way of escape. And, praise the Lord for husbands who can serve as ways of escape. God bless them for living with their wives in an understanding way!

Life is tough stuff. But it is a glorious adventure overall -- and truly a blessing from the Lord. I remember an old lady from my home church once told my mom that "You can't have a beautiful sunset without some clouds." A quote I will never forget when I go through hard times.

Elijahn

He's hissing less and babbling more -- but now, his babble is actually turning into words! Here are the most common ones that I have memorized. :-)

eh-woh: hello
buh-bye: bye-bye
moh-yee: more
bee: please
bee: bee
uh: up
too-tee: cookie
bope: boat
ray: rain
iz ih myee: is it mine?
iz ih duh: is it done?
boop: book
bah-yee: balloon
bub-ole: bubble

I don't even know how to type out how he says "milk," but he uses the same word that starts with M every time. :-P

He also did something big this past week -- he went pee-pee in the potty while standing up!!! There have been a few times where he's wanted to sit on the potty with no results. This time, he was up and down, up and down, and finally went pee-pee while standing up! Not completely mess-free, but a victory anyway! I think we're still a long way from him being potty trained, but these are good first steps.

Funny Conversations

At breakfast one morning...

Judah, staring intently at a cheerio: Goodbye! ::munch::
Momma: Were you saying goodbye to your cheerio?
Judah: Cheerios are like people.
Momma: No, cheerios aren't like people. We eat cheerios. We can't eat people.
Judah, after deep thought: When we get old like cheerios, we could eat us.
Momma: ::stunned::

-----------------------------------

While looking at a bunny in the backyard...

Daddy: See how big his feet are?
Judah: He needs new socks!

------------------------------------

From Easter '09

Praise the Lord for our sweet, adorable boys!

Watching

Here are three watching moments to share for today...



I stop watching for a moment, and then look back to find Elijah's cup stuffed full of his quesadillas.



You've never had a real Star Trek movie viewing experience until you have had the following all at the same time:

-IMAX theatre (including scenes so loud you have to plug your ears)
-Your glasses so you can catch all the details you missed last time
-Shared popcorn, soda, and butterfinger minis with your best friend (who happens to be your Love) that you know is adding inches to your hips while emptying your wallet at the same time. I mean, seriously, a large popcorn and large soda combo is MORE than your admission to the movie itself??
-A stranger (or just strange?) who is also viewing the movie complete with a bright purple section of hair, knee high white socks, and patent leather pink combat boots.
-Massive amounts of foul body odor wafting from behind you every time those particular viewers moved an inch
-A very mousy young lady in front of you who clapped her finger tips faster than a hummingbird's wings every time there was something exciting happening on screen...so much so that you actually missed a couple of your favorite shots because you were so lost in thought as to how someone can love a movie THAT much...and then her sister joined in a few times
-Good friends who are just as sane as you are but are still fans of the movie :-)


I'm watching my Hubby turn another year older today. I love that man beyond words or actions. He is God's greatest gift to me -- a personalized definition of his name! Thank you, Lord, for the completion of yet another wonderful year of enjoying life with my husband and watching him struggle, grow, and mature to be more like You in all he does!

Happy Birthday, Love!

A couple Judah funnies...

We're tiptoeing into cessation of Judah's thumb sucking. It's tough for both us and him! Today, while snuggling on the couch, I kindly told him that if he didn't work hard at not sucking his thumb, Mommy would have to put something that didn't taste very good on it. He contemplated hard for a few moments, then asked with a cute quizzical look, "Ba-sghetti?" He's not a fan of spaghetti. Can you tell?


When laying down for our afternoon nap, Judah asked, "Are the people going to come back?" (in reference to our out-of-town guests). I said yes, but that they were seeing Washington DC today. He thought for a moment then asked, "Why are they washing the sea?"

SlkApoiasAIhsaphD

Get ready...this might be long.

What a day!

-Straightened everything
-Dusted upstairs
-Vacuumed whole house, including stairs
-Mopped upstairs
-Cleaned bathrooms, including Mr. Clean bar on our shower (yeesh!)
-On the fourth load of laundry now (I think)
-Typical kid watching, lunch, etc.
-Made, enveloped, and mailed all four sets of Mother's Day cards
-Showered and did a mini manicure and pedicure while praying and meditating...rediscovered an awesome summer toes color
-Read some from Practicing Hospitality
-About to start prepping dinner and may rest some...after I finish this post, of course

Where has this energy come from? Sure wasn't around last week! Could be part adreneline. The Firstbrooks arrive from California tonight! Woo-hoooo! We're all so excited to see each other, and they are excited to spend a week touring WDC. It'll be fun times catching up, hearing about our HBC family back in Cali, and watching the Firstbrooks hold our sons once again. Sweet times!

Here's the updates:

MATT

He did a LOT of work this weekend. God said to for man to have dominion over the earth, and that's just what Matt has done. Around this time a year ago, he redid the backyard for Mother's Day and planted pretty flowers and a few edibles. Well, many of them failed, save for the rose and hydrangea. Then the tree fell. Because of that and the many Bob-the-Builders that did repairs, the grass, hastas, and azaleas became not so nice looking. Matt found some free fill dirt online, so he spent Saturday prepping the yard (which included redoing the patio...again) and Sunday getting the dirt. It was gloomy with intermitent rain the whole weekend (and presently). But oh does it already look worlds better back there! I did a bit of fixin' up in the front yard last week. Matt moved the two backyard azaleas to fill in the front ones, so hopefully in a few months we'll have a nice looking hedge rather than weirdly spaced azaleas and random daffodils. The patio layout is superb! Makes both yard and patio seem bigger. Everything looks much cleaner and cared for. I keep thanking God that we have yards to work in. A little something inside of me hopes that whenever we have to move out, the owner will notice a huge difference in how we have cared for his possession compared to previous residents. A good witness, I hope! Or if we end up buying sometime, the work will already be done! I'll take pics when the weather improves (in a few days, I hear) and things are more settled.

DAWN:

I had a physical last week. I'm fine except for a vitamin D deficiency. Hmm. Who knew? Low end of normal is 32. I'm at 8.3. So I was placed on 12 weeks of vitD supplement and calcium. But a man at church expressed some concern (he's in a similar boat), and sent me a couple articles. Good information and wise advice to research it a little before I blindly follow. I'd rather get a little color from the sun to get my vitD anyway. I'll be talking with two of my other doctors to see what they would do for a vitD deficiency.

Yesterday, during communion, I had one of those "duh moments." You know, the kind where you've always known something but never thought of it in such simple terms. They had some instrumental music playing, so I was thinking through the lyrics. I came across "sin's curse has lost it's grip on me." Well, then why do I keep sinning, I asked. Because YOU haven't lost your grip on sin. ::stunned:: DUH! It's so convicting to be reminded over and over that I am FREE FROM SIN. I don't HAVE to sin. I CHOOSE to. Because of the Holy Spirit in me, I have the power to NOT sin every moment of the day. And yet I do -- many moments of the day. ::hangs head:: Glory be, the Day is coming! Glorified body, bring it!!!

JUDAH:

Cute kid. Deathly afraid of bugs, floating fuzz, and Elijah's gaping mouth when he tries to bite Judah. Can't decide if he likes soft tacos or pbj the best. I think we're going to start preschool activities at home this fall -- he's too smart to keep playing his days away. Great memory! Loves to play chase. Lives to go outside and will die of excitement the day he gets a bike (whenever that will be). Showing signs of typical first born bossiness. Gets a thrill out of people coming over. Wants to go somewhere EVERY night after dinner. Loves to snuggle while watching TV. Is a pottying pro. Is still a very clean eater. Likes all his pillows and blanket just so when going down to sleep. Tries out stalling methods like drink of water, have to pee pee, need to be covered.

ELIJAH:

Woah. Definitely my all-boy boy. That child is such a messy eater even though most of it does in fact make it to his mouth. Floor, clothes, face, curly hair, hands, chair...it all has to be cleaned after every meal. He's always sliding his cup clear across the table or squishing his cheerios or strawberries in his hands until they juice and make a noise. The boy sticks crayons up his nose, has been known to eat goldfish out of the trash, bites out of defense, has quite the sly grin, and knows EXACTLY what he's doing but thinks he can be cute enough to get away with it (which sometime almost works). And yet...he is such a pretty momma's boy. He's the perfect baby model for preppy style; and when he wears one of my headbands, he would make either a super cute girl or a perfect ancient Athens boy with those adorable locks. And don't cross him or he'll throw you the tantrum of his life (complete with not looking at you, obtaining blob posture, screaming and crying, throwing himself flat out on the floor...). He's definitely a package deal for a little kid -- keeps Momma on her toes mentally, physically, and spiritually! Just learned to hop. Dances to pretty much any music he hears. Gasps every time he hears a dog or airplane. Loves his stuff animals. Is starting to repeat words you practice with him, so maybe he'll be talking soon? Still uses "sssssss" to tell you just about anything.

Whew! That was fun. :-D Off to prep dinner now!

For Matt @ Work

Antics

Elijah is quite the little character as of late. This morning, he donned his big snow boots over his solid red footie pajamas and put on one of my elastic hairbands. The other day he got a little ring of yarn I made for a toy crane to pull around and put it on his thumb as a ring, then got a baby chew ring and put it on his wrist like a bracelet -- our little fashionisto. Just now, I gave him some juice because he was thirsty. What is he doing with it? He has his milk from breakfast in one hand and his juice in the other, alternating the sips. I gave him a haircut last night, just a trim. It looks much better! He says "Hiiii, u-daaah" every morning when Judah and I go in to get him. He also says "BUH, BUH" when he wants up. "Beee" for please. He's started participating in bedtime prayers with adorable soft-voiced babble...although the other night, Matt and I promise we heard "ah-oo or isss ay" as in "thank you for this day!" We both immediately opened our eyes and looked at each other with a "Did he really just say that??"

Judah calls his little Noah's ark toy a "shark." To talk with him is to converse with an almost peer! It's fascinating! He's started helping me with some small chores, and I am surprised that it actually does help me rather than hinder. A little slow at some points in getting things done, but he does get them done correctly! I'd say he's potty trained now. Only a couple accidents in the last 2-3 weeks and usually a dry overnight in the morning! It really was over before I knew it -- wonderful! Let's hope Elijah does it that easily when the time comes. ;-)

If you ever need to get food into my boys' tummies, feed them breakfast food -- pancakes or biscuits, yogurt, eggs... They'll shock you at how much they can eat!

This afternoon is our first "extended food lab" for my home ec class. We're making yeast dinner rolls and my favorite quick biscuits. Yummy!

I can't wait to post pics of the boys after tomorrow. They have super cute Easter outfits to go with their super cute good looks! I hope to alter a skirt today that I haven't been able to wear in a long time...it's one of my favorites!

Ok, off to do something.

Pretty 'n Fun

Spring has sprung, and my boys are fun!

Double Chosen

Because Matt left super early this morning and Judah has been low on sleep, I had the treat of not opening my eyes to start the day until 7:26. It was beautiful to wake up to a deep blue sky and warm brown trees as the sun was on it's way. It was one of those mornings where you open your eyes, look out your window, and smile because everything is so peaceful (and you got enough sleep!). So I grabbed my Bible off my nightstand and decided to read a couple of my favorite Psalms. 96 and 97 are perfect for many occasions in life, especially the times you want to worship God for His majesty.

As I was reading through those two Paslms and a few others nearby, two truths converged into one and left me breathless. Israel is God's chosen nation from the foundation of the Earth. Christians are God's chosen people from before time began and into eternity. So if someone is a Christian Jew -- wow! They have been double chosen by God Almighty to live out eternity in His presence. What a special thing to be a Jew and a Christian!

Boy, it's been a while...

Let's see...

Valentine's Day -- We put the kids to bed, and Matt went to get Outback takeout while I set up the living room floor for a candlelit picnic. We got an offer for a babysitter, but staying in really appealed to us. No crowds, no packing the boys into the car, no waking them up to take them home, etc. The food was so delicious! I always get one of two things from Outback, but this time I branched out. I got their Bloomin' Burger, a hamburger with some bloomin' onion petals and sauce. Now, if Outback's steaks are good, it stands to reason that their hamburger is the BEST...juicy, tender...::licks lips:: Man, now I want one this minute! We danced a little and then tried to watch Prince Caspian -- and promptly konked out. We knew we wouldn't make it through the movie, but I thought we'd last a little longer than we did. Hey, we're parents of two high energy boys. Can you blame us?

Sweetheart Banquet -- A second celebration of Valentine's Day. The Men's Ministry sponsors this event for their sweehearts. Good food, lovely decor, handsome husbands and lovely ladies, FUN dancing...

Second Half of February Sickness -- Judah got sick (we think the flu), then Elijah and I. Both boys had ear infections and asthma trouble but are almost back to full health thanks to antibiotics. I, however, am about to start a different round of antibiotics since the first kind obviously didn't work on my sinus infection. God has answered prayer and kept Matt healthy all this time! Oh yes, we also discovered that I have a bulging disc in my lower back. I went through about three weeks of physical therapy which helped tremendously. I not longer have to go to physical therapy, but I do need to remember to do my exercises at home -- I've already noticed that my back is more tender because I haven't done them in a few days. :-

Big Wonderful News -- Matt and I get to have a little vacation alone at the end of April to witness my best friend Jaclyn get married! So exciting in multiple ways! Pray God provides for all our financial needs during this time of medical bills, taxes, and wedding fun!

Judah -- He's singing alot, recognizes almost all the letters of the alphabet, and is starting to get into imaginative play with his toys. It's so fun to watch and listen to! He'll be THREE on Tuesday. Yowsa! Pray for us -- we've been telling him for a while that birthday 3 is a big one. Big potty and no more thumb sucking. I think Matt and I are going to have just as hard a time as Judah is.

Elijah -- Woo, energy. He is such a ball of cuteness (or terror if you cross him). He has also gotten into singing, though I think Matt and I are the only ones that could tell you what he's singing. ;-) Here's a list of developing words:

Bye-bih: Vitamin
Dah-too: Thank you
Beeh: Please
Dah: Judah
Nooooo: Snow (said in a soft high tone)
Ah-fuh: Waffle
Ssss: Cheers (to which he holds out his glass for you to tink with your own)

I'm pretty sure he "said" Lucky Charms yesterday.

Snow -- It's still odd but cool to know I live in a place now that will have snow every winter...and snow that lasts for more than a day!

And now I'm going to finish watching Lost. :-D

Well, hey there, Mr. Postman

So, a little saga has developed with my Postman and me.

Every neighborhood usually has a regular post-person, and ours happens to be a nice guy. He and I have had a couple short, cordial conversations. Ok, cool.

A month or so ago, he brought a package to our door. When leaving, he said, "Have a nice day, Dawn." Say what? Ok, whatever. And he's called me that several times since. Even Mrs. [last name] would be better than Dawn.

A couple weeks ago, he delivered a package from my mom for my birthday. While signing for it, we carried on a conversation about how bitterly cold it was. As he turned to leave, he said, "By the way, you have a beautiful face." I stood there stunned in my no-makeup, hair-pulled-back, pajamas state. Ummmm...not ok.

Yesterday, Tara came over to watch the boys so I could go to the doctor. A package was delivered by Mr. Postman. Tara got to the door as he was trying to leave it between the door and storm door. He was startled and said he didn't think anyone was home. He then looked at Tara and said, "Oh, you're not Dawn." Errrrr.........

I like what Tara said her responses could have been:
1) No, I'm the other wife.
2) No, Dawn's the nanny. I'm the wife.

HA! I would have loved to see his reaction!

So whether he is just a little too friendly or kinda creepy, can I request a new postal worker? :-P

Alphabet & Other Things

I was going through some alphabet flash cards with Judah. We got to Yy, which has a picture of a yo-yo on it.

Judah: BALL!
Me: No, what letter is this.
Judah: No. (meaning I don't know)
Me: It's a Y. Can you say Y?
Judah: Y!
Me: ...is for?
Judah: Ball!
Me: No, that's a yo-yo. Can you say yo-yo?
Judah: It's a striiiing for the baaalll!
Me: No, it's not a ball. It's a yo-yo. Can you say yo-yo?
Judah: It's a ball with a striiiing!

Kids. He is right though -- it does look like a ball with a string.

At 10:00, this is what Judah said to me:

"I'm coughing so I need a snack. I need a snack because I'm...I'm...having trouble. I'm having trouble so I need a snack...because I'm...I'm...I'm having trouble. I'm hiccuping. I'm hiccuping so I need a snack." (which he's not doing anything but asking for a snack)

I got a new water bottle the other day. The brand is Intak (and it's PURPLE!). It has a little dial on it so you can track how many 20 oz increments you had that day. I got through 2 yesterday. Gotta build up my stamina! This is the first of my small steps to get back on track with a healthy lifestyle. I figure drinking more water was a small, important, and easy first step.

It's so weird to glance outside throughout the day and still see snow. It'll be gone after today. We're supposed to have a warming trend -- all the way up to 51! Down right hot! :-P

Well, since she updated her Facebook page and is officially public, I am proud...oh so happy...to write the following...

JACLYN IS ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED TO A MOST WONDERFUL MAN!
SHE'S GONNA GET MARRIED! WOO HOO!!!

And since my mom tagged me on Facebook, I'll do my 25 random things here...

1) My middle name is a family heritage from both my mom and grandmother.

2) I was born in Salmon, ID.

3) Neither Matt nor I had jobs until a whole month after our wedding. That's faith!

4) I used to be crazy about purple, then aqua, then coral...and now back to purple, though not quite as all-out as it used to be.

5) I have a dream to get some art (whether painted or edited photos) for our bedroom of the places Matt went to in Europe done in our bedroom colors of sea green, cream, and yellow. It's beautiful in my head!

6) I have a big fork and spoon from Hati (by way of my mom-in-law) hanging in our dining room -- and how it got there is similar to one particular epsiode of Everybody Loves Raymond in which Frank and Marie have a large fork and spoon on their kitchen wall. Uncanny.

7) I will barely get to see my husband on Valentines Day this year since I will be leaving EARLY am on a youth retreat. :-(

8) I love Psalm 139 and Proverbs 4:18.

9) I get to have my first eye appointment with glasses today...it's been two years since I got my glasses. Should be interesting to see if my vision has changed at all.

10) I could sew all day if I had unlimted time and resources! Thanks for the new machine, Dad and Momma!!!

11) For pleasure, I'm reading Alice in Wonderland. You thought the movie was wierd? READ it.

12) My number one least favorite household chore is cleaning the shower -- I HATE grout and tile.

13) For our next child (when God sees fit), we are pretty sure we have a girl's name but have no clue about a boy's name.

14) An ultimate date dream I have is to see Josh Groban in concert WITH Matt. We got close on Inauguration night when they were interviewing a soldier about her dance with the President...and Josh Groban could be seen playing/singing on a big screen behind them. He was there, live, and we were on our couch! :-P

15) I feel that 27 is a very in-between, nondescript age. Just like 17 and 19 were.

16) I love my honeysuckle perfume from Bath & Body Works. Reminds me of being pregnant with Elijah when I so fell in love with the scent that my mom bought me some.

17) Tortilla chips are my weakness.

18) It bugs me that we have a purple wall in our living room and dishes that look great with it...but only red table linens.

19) I never saw myself as an SUV person. But now it's hard to see myself without it.

20) I am the admin assistant for our youth group.

21) I love to get colorful, vibrant flowers! The rich hues, the contrast of colors and textures...it really is theraputic and brings such refreshment to my soul. Perhaps because it is a glimpse of God's amazing eye for beauty! I got such a rush the other day when I saw a few sleeves of daffodils and remembered they are everwhere in spring.

22) I really miss my sapphire/diamond ring that got lost in a pool back in California. It's been 5 years, and I still mourn its loss. :-(

23) My favorite guitar chord is E minor.

24) I have a blanket I seriously call "heaven" because of the incredible soft, sleep-inducing warmth it gives.

25) The computer is a time-wasting temptation for me. ;-)

The clock says...

This morning, rather than ask me for a snack, Judah told me, "The clock says it's time for a snack." I told him no it didn't, not yet. He replied with "The clock says it's time to watch Obama train." He's pretty excited to see a real train on TV today as Obama makes his trip from PA to DC.

Apparently, we're really entering the phase of "boy vs. girl." To add to yesterday's situation with Judah...today I gave the boys their baby brushes to play with. Of course, they like to brush my hair because I have a lot of it to brush. I had a bobby pin and a ponytail holder in my hair that I took out. I thought I'd be funny and put the bobby pin in Judah's hair (about the only hair item that would ever stay in his hair...). Then I put it in Elijah's, then back in mine. Judah asked to have it in his hair again. I told him it was for girls, but he could wear it just for a minute. I the bobby pin back in his hair, and he immediately said:

"I'm a girl!"

He'll get it eventually. :-)

Kidisms

For the past few days, Judah has been telling me at 9:30 one of the following phrases:

1) I need a snack...because I'm coughing.
2) I'm coughing...because I need a snack.

?

Yesterday, we were watching Little Einstein. There's a part where you pat your legs to rev up Rocket...patting faster and faster...ending with raising your arms into the sky and shouting "Blast off!" Elijah has patted his legs for a long time at that part; but yesterday at the end, he raised his arms and said "Yast aaawww!" Too cute!

This next one is of a more sensitive nature, but since I'm pretty sure my current readers are all women...

Today, after lunch, I had to have a little talk with Judah about some behavior. After our successful talk, he looks at my shirt and asks, "Mommy, what's in there?" It took me a moment to figure out he was wondering what was "in" my shirt. I tried to keep it simple and just said, "It's just Mommy in my shirt." He pried again, "What's in there?" I said, "It's just Mommy -- it's my body."

Judah: Can I see it?
Me: No, we wear clothes...because...that's just what we do. [Oh dear.]
Judah: looks at himself "Where's mine?" [LOL LOL]
Me: Um, Judah, you're a boy. Mommy is a girl. Boys and girls are different.
Judah: Elijah is a boy.

And that's where he ended the conversation. :-P

Chilly Morning

What a beautiful morning. ::sigh:: :-)

We're sitting at breakfast, and Judah all of the sudden says, "Seven hundred dollars."

Judah's had some trouble with congestion/plugged up nose lately. This morning, I was getting a "boogy" out of his nose...and it was like an iceburg. It was 90% bigger than what I thought -- it surprised me so much, I actually gasped loudly and scared Judah. :-P

I'm so excited! I get to order the family pictures for the living room today!

The high on Friday is supposed to be 24. Brrr!

Why is finding a dentist that has a good reputation and accepts both your primary and secondary insurance so stinkin' hard???

I have no idea what to do with Elijahh's hair. It's getting long, but we don't really want to cut it. It's a very "Elijah" style. I just don't want him to look too sloppy.

Let me take a moment to praise God again that we are renting. It's been a good lesson to prove that having an emergency fund for an owned home is important! A couple weeks ago, Matt discovered a natural gas leak in the backyard. So BGE came and dug up/replaced what they needed to. Then, a couple days ago, I was getting something out of the dining room closet to sew, and there was water all over the floor. It wasn't the water heater, thank goodness, but there is a steady leak from one of the pipes in there. So Matt and Justin rigged up the vacuum hose to cause the trickle to flow towards the drain in the floor...which is higher than the rest of the floor. [???] Go figure. Someone is supposed to come by to look at it, though Matt thinks it needs a real plumber.

Judahisms
bi-nin: vitamin
heh-beh-dah-ter: helicopter

Looks like I'll be doing something new on February 15th. I'm going to SKI! Aaah! I'm very excited, and a little nervous. I get to add something to my Done It Just to Say I've Done It list. :-) Our youth retreat is down in NC, and part of it involves skiing/snowboarding. I'm sad that Matt isn't going so we can experience it together (he's been boarding before). But, it should still be fun!

Alrighty, off to do some laundry.

Cookieism

I was going to treat Elijah and Judah to one cookie each after lunch today. I pulled out two cookies from the package and set them down on the counter. Judah asks, "Where's Elijah's cookie, Mommy?"

They do learn indulgence early, don't they?

Kidisms

I think we may be entering the "Kids Say the Silliest Things" stage. I've been waiting for this! I will write in correct English so nothing is lost in translation. ;-)

Yesterday when we arrived at the mall's carousel, Judah pointed and exclaimed, "Look at that! That's clever!"

Today at lunch...

Judah: Mommy, I want to go to the store with you for granola bars.
Me: We'll see. I don't know when we are going to the store.
Judah: Uuummm...in thirty seconds.

After lunch while we were all doing our own thing, I explained to Judah that our friends Mrs. Michelle and Mrs. Tara were going to have babies...

Judah: Mommy's going to have a baby.
Me: No, I'm not. We'll have to pray and ask God to give us a baby.
Judah: Mommy's going to have a baby.
Me: No, sweetie, I'm not. Mrs. Michelle and Mrs. Tara are having babies.
Judah: I'm going to have a baby!
Me: No, boys can't have babies.
Judah: I'm going to have a baby!

Before nap time while changing Judah's diaper..."Mommy, I want to play faster"...which I figured out meant that he wanted to play longer before I layed him down.

The other day at dinner, Judah was telling Matt and I something and used the phrase "I'm serious"...correctly!

While sitting here doing my usual afternoon computer things waiting for Judah to fall asleep in his room, I heard him get up. He opened his door, came to my door, threw his socks in my room, ran in his room, shut the door, and got back in bed. Random! (still giggling over this one...)

Elijah is currently perfecting a few words:

Moh-ee (while pointing): more
Dah-dtoo (while signing please once...not sure why): thank you
Peesss (while signing please several times): please
Bah-boh: Bible
Ma-ma: Momma
Da-da: Daddy
No-no: no
sss (while nodding head): yes

Still working on:
sssss (while signing drink in his own little way): drink

Elijah is evermore the mischievious child. He has gotten to the point where when Judah calls to me that Elijah is touching the DVDs, Elijah immediately runs away before he even sees me coming. (I'm trying to teach him that his sin will find him out by the example of Momma knowing when he's touched the DVDs because some are moved out of place.) Or when he's standing on the coffee table and sees my body even move that direction, he tries to get down as fast as he can. He's strong willed but sensitive in spirit -- fancy that. Sounds like his mother. :-P

Egads!

The 9 Most Fattening Foods of Winter

::bug-eyed:: It's no wonder I feel a touch more plump from belly button to knees. :-P

Noo-Nuhls

I've crossed off another food on my "I've never made..." list. Noodles (aka "noo-nuhls" in Judah-speak). I had stuff to make a basic spaghetti sauce today, but only egg noodles. We don't think the two go well together, so I opted to try making homemade noodles. A little over an hour and a severly boiled over pot later, I had bonifide basil-seasoned noodles. Mix a little shredded parm in with some good garlic/herb canned spaghetti sauce, and bingo! A yummy pasta bowl! But, I will pay for the convenience of store bought noodles any day. At a buck a box, it is MUCH cheaper than homemade noodles after you consider the ingredients, electricity, time, and muscle power that goes into it! Sheesh! But they were yummy -- I love basil!

Who knew that play dough could hold little guys' attention for such a good chunk of time? Included in the boys' stockings this year were four little cans of the colorful squishyness. To my knowledge, today was the first time they have ever played with it. Elijah, of course, immediately tried to eat some. (Thank you, play dough makers, for producing nontoxic dough!) He didn't like it, but it made it's way to his mouth a few more times over the course of 45 minutes. We made balls, bars, Saturn, circles, a butterfly, a fish, bowling ball and pins, a snowman, used a couple cookie cutters, handprints...it was great fun! And not really that messy either. :-)

I borrowed a machine from a friend and got crafty last night. I finished three garters I've been working on for a friend who will be married soon. I also sewed Judah a new travel blank since his other one is LONG gone (lost it sometime back in June on our trip to AR). :-( The new one is bright blue soft fleece with a bright green trim...matches the monkey/lion mural. If I find a cute lion patch and get my brand new sent-back-for-repairs machine back, I'll add that and his name to the blanket. It's fun to be crafty!

This picture represents what I'm coming to love more with each passing Chrsitmas/winter -- snowflakes in white and silver. For just $10 at Michael's Dec 26th sale, I was able to get three types of decor to fill out our new tree. It was so much fun! I never would have thought I'd be a ribbon person; but the more I saw it this season, the more I loved it. I even put a pretty bow at the top of the tree (so not like me, usually). And the little snowflakes (30 total!) are only about an inch wide. So cute! I also noticed the little ball clusters alot this season; and again, the more I saw them, the more I liked them. They add such a subtle but beautiful detail, especially the cranberry looking ones on trees that have a red foundation. I also liked the trees that have red poinsettias on them!

Judahisms, an Elijah Story, and My Brain

egg node: egg nog
fatch-er: tractor
cwoshay cook: crochet hook
Header: Heather
pweh-zence: presents

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Yesterday I had to start correcting Elijah for touching the ornaments on the tree so that he would know we really do mean business when we say "no." Every time there is silence in the living room, I know he's at the tree. When I walk in there, he runs away with a gleam in his eye and a mischevious smile -- and hides behind the chair. I caught him twice after his nap touching Judah's paper star ornament. The first time, I reminded him that it was a no-no and he needed to obey. The second time, I had to give him a [love pat]. I got down on his level and gently told him that Jesus says to obey Mommy and Daddy and that when he disobeys, he gets a [love pat]. He listened very intently up until the word [love pat]. Once that reached his ears, his worried eyes shot up to me and he shook is head no vigourously. I continued to say, yes, he did need a [love pat] so that he would learn to obey..........and he put his hand to my mouth and pushed a little as if to say "If you don't say it, you don't have to do it!" It was precious, but it also stands as an example that even young toddlers know and understand when they have done wrong and what discipline is. It is so amazing to watch children's obedience levels change if we as parents are consistent in our OWN obedience to God's way of parenting.

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Autumn took an online brain test, so I did as well. :-) It is SCARY how well the summary describes me. Who else agrees with me??? I was going to bold what was really really true, but I realized I'd be bolding pretty much the whole thing. So I bolded what is really really really scary right on about me. :-P

Your Brain Usage Profile:
Auditory : 50%
Visual : 50%
Left : 55%
Right : 45%

Dawn, you are somewhat left-hemisphere dominant with a balanced preference for auditory and visual inputs. Because of your "centrist" tendencies, the distinctions between various types of brain usage are somewhat blurred.

Your tendency to be organized and logical and attend to details is reasonably well-established which should afford you success regardless of your chosen field of endeavor, unless it requires total spontaneity and ability to improvise, your weaker traits. However, you are far from rigid or overcontrolled. You possess a degree of individuality, perceptiveness, and trust in your intuition to function at much more sophisticated levels than most.

Having given sufficient attention to detail, you can readily perceive the larger aspects and implications of a situation or of learning. You are functional and practical, but can blend abstraction and theory into your framework readily.

The equivalence of your auditory and visual learning orientation gives you two equally effective sensory input systems, each with distinctive features. You can process both unidimensionally and multidimen- sionally with equal facility. When needed, you sequence material while at other times you "intake it all" and store it for processing later.

Your natural ability to use your senses is also synthesized in your way of learning. You can be reflective in your approach, absorbing material in a non-aggressive manner, and at other times voracious in seeking out stimulation and experience.

Overall you tend to be somewhat more critical of yourself than is necessary and avoid enjoying life too much because of a sense of duty. You feel somewhat constrained and tend to sometimes restrict your expressiveness. In any given situation, you will opt for the rational, and learning of almost any type should be easy for you. You might need certain ideas explained to you in order to fit them into your scheme of things, but you're at least open to that!

Tears of Encouragement

My mom recently sent me two forwards from a blog she keeps up with -- A Holy Experience. I waited a while to read them. Now I want to make time to read them often. They both made me cry.

Those who know me past the surface know that all I ever wanted to truly be was a wife and mother. And they also know that I highly value and enjoy being one. But over my short years in this occupation, I have discovered that there are many people that think I have it all down in perfect working order. Danger! ...and far from the truth.

A couple weeks ago, a friend sent me a thank you note for a wedding gift I gave her. In it, she blew my socks off with her heartfelt thanks, not for the gift only, but for a book review I gave on Passionate Housewives Desperate for God. She said that my honesty let her know that I am indeed not perfect, but she still believes she could learn alot from me. That was extremely encouraging, exciting, and humbling all at the same time.

Being a wife and mom is H.A.R.D.

Not only do you have to care for your own basic needs, but you have to care for the needs of another adult (and one that isn't a woman like you) as well each child (who aren't girls like you were).
You have to cook food for all of them for every meal (and there's no guarantee everyone will like what you make).
You have to clean the kicthen and the potties to keep people healthy (and they never stay clean).
You have to wash the clothes so no one goes naked (though your kids would love too...and then you get to clean up the pee-pee off the ottoman...while wondering how a little bladder can hold that much).
You have to make sure that they learn survial skills like putting food in their own mouths (which requires enormous amounts of clean up...especially after yogurt or rice).
You also have to make sure they learn educational skills so that they will have some measure of success in life (and then you get to worry about them being TOO smart for their own good...or yours).
You have to keep the schedule for the family running smoothly without double booking or over booking (or else you get to deal with emotional and physcial burn out...for everyone).
You have to......

But on TOP of all those things on that snippet of a Mother's Daily Life List, there is a whole spiritual realm that pervades every second of the day. You have to introduce your children's brains to the entire concept of God. You have to teach them truths from the Bible and how to pray. You have to share the Gospel with them and pray that they will know Christ someday and live for Him. In this process, much discipline is needed for the cranky toddler(s), the fighting brothers, the temper throwing first born, the mischeviously disobedient second born...............the angry mother, the impatient mother, the selfish mother....the angry wife, the impatient wife, the selfish wife.

And I'd say that last part of that list is what makes being a wife and mother so hard. Me. It is all too easy to forget that what I do when I do and for Whom I do is not me. Not my husband. Not my children. It should all be done for God who has given me these precious people and all these good things to care for. It doesn't matter if others think I'm perfect or a failure. It doesn't matter if I have to write "homemaker" on the Occupation line of forms I have to fill out. It doesn't matter that I don't get paid (with money) for what I do.

I do get paid. With invisible things. With things that will not ever burn.

Two quotes that struck me from the blog posts I read:

"Could there be more meaningful work than co-laboring with God in the sculpting of souls?"

Really? Is there anything more meaningful or LASTING than that?? Then why don't I remember this BEFORE I get angry or impatient?

"Tonight, I'll finally linger at the last light switch. I'll have worked today but no one will have paid me a cent. Real work rises above the necessity of mere money. Tonight, I'll have more than money. I'll have a bouquet of words, mumbled words from around the table from mouths too full. Words He too will say at the end of time to the faithful servants. Like the words He said in the beginning, when He began His work, when He finished each task."

It hit me that God speaks to us through our children. When Judah so sweetly says "Dank you for making dinner, Mommy. It's so dee-yish-us," that is God offering me encouragement that my work is good and it is not done for myself or my family. It is done for Him because my end purpose is to glorify Him -- and raising children who will hopefully one day glorify Him will only multiply my life's purpose.

Praise be to Him. I need this reminder every day.

Judah-isms

"I don't even know dat."

I have no idea where he picked up this phrase, intonation included; but it drives me nuts. It's so cute but SO annoying! I think he tries to use it when he means "Oh, I didn't know that." Gah! I need to get some video of it.

A conversation from yesterday as we were going over some of Judah's verses...

Me: In every thing...
Judah: Give thanks! Firs Teslonians 5:18
Me: We should be thankful, huh, Judah?
Judah: Yeah.
Me: And who are we to be thankful to?
Judah: No. (meaning I don't know)
Me: Are we to be thankful to God?
Judah: Yeah. pause I'm God.
Me: No, Judah isn't God.
Judah: I'm God.
Me: No, Judah isn't God. God created Judah.
Judah: looks down at the picture of blue fish in his book Fish are God.
Me: No, fish aren't God. God made the fish.

And then we went on our merry conversational way. It was too cute how matter-of-fact he was in saying he was God.

Prayer Milestone

Every kid in a home that prays reaches that particular milestone where the prayer goes something like Judah's did at breakfast:

Momma: Thank you, Jesus, for our breakfast and help us to be obedient at the grocery store. Amen.

Judah: And tank you for Mommy and Daddy and Yijah and Judah. Amen.

...and tank you for my cheerios and banana and milk. Amen.

...and tank you for my bowl. Amen.

Words

So much to post, so little time...and health.

Today, I want to at least update you all on some cute little words being said around here.

Judah

heh'-beh-dah-ter: helicopter
nyuh'-nyups: music
dum'-pent: trumpet
liddle stah-stine: Little Einstein
quwis-mus: Christmas
noo-nools: noodles

*What's really cute is when Judah talks with the accent he invented for himself. He contorts his lips and tongue to make himself sound really funny.

Elijah

ah-dah: all done
bah: ball
dah: down
ssss or pssss: please
ah-men: amen
bah-bah: breakfast

Funny Judah Story

While my parents were here, I had to get some gunk out of Judah's nose so he could breath better. It was not going well, so I resorted to bribery. "Let me get the boogies out, and you can have ice cream," I said. And that's just what happened. I think it was the very next night as dinner was ending, Judah pipes up and says with a very excited smile, "Get my boogies out, and den I have ice cream!" He's said this several times since then. And no, we haven't given in. Then, today, he says to me, "I have two breaths and den I have chocolate chip"...meaning he would do two breaths of inhaler and then I would give him a chocolate chip cookie. It doesn't work like that, son. First, you have to NEED the inhaler to do it. Second...well, second, maybe Momma should think twice about using food as bribery for you. ;-P

Future Food Budget Busters

Judah and Elijah.

Judah better prove to me that he is about to grow...otherwise this new appetite of his will be the new norm. And it's huge! He had two waffles, yogurt, banana, and juice for breakfast. Grahm crackers and milk for snack. Chicken, corn bread, and applesauce for lunch. And then asked for "something else" (which is now the official after-meal statement: "I want sumthing else, Mommy..."). And today is just an example of how much he's been eating for a couple weeks now!

Elijah still just loves food. The End.

In Keeping With the World

So, what's on the world's mind today? Obama of course. He'll be the headline for a while, I'm sure. Everyone is offering their reactions to last night's landslide election -- both Obama supporters and McCain supporters. In keeping with the rest of the world, I will offer my thoughts.

Did I vote for Obama? No. It took me a long time to come to a conclusion between Obama and McCain. I admit that I went back and forth several times. But in the last couple weeks, there were a few things that surfaced about Obama's policies and ideals that caused me to land in the McCain camp. Am I disappointed he didn't win? Sure. So what now?

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17)

Obedience and submission involve respect and honor. I was frustrated when I heard people in the McCain crowd booing when McCain was graciously conceding to the rightful winner of the Presidency. Very immature, in my opinion. Do we not all agree that whoever gets the most votes wins? People seem to think that method is fair...until their man doesn't win.

And as Christians, it doesn't matter if "our man" loses. God has known from ages past who was going to be the 44th President of the USA. Our responsibility was to do our part in seeking His will and voting according to our consciences. God has everything all worked out -- for our good and for His glory. We have no right to malign the one He has placed in authority over us. We are to obey Obama, respect him, and pray for him. Being President is no easy job, and we should not make it more of a burden than it already is. Even if you might consider him and enemy, Jesus said...

You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:43-45)

But who are we to judge who is righteous and unrighteous? God is the only rightful Judge of men's hearts. On that note, there's been talk about whether or not Obama could be the Antichrist. This is dangerous talk! No one can know who that man will be until God chooses for prophecy to play itself out into history. Not to mention that would be perhaps the worst character attack on any human who ends up NOT being Antichrist! But regardless, even IF Antichrist did come from the USA and held a high office, Scripture does not give Christians room to disobey and dishonor any authority, unless asked to do something directly against God's Word. Every person in history and who is to come has been chosen by God to play a specific role -- whether righteous or unrighteous -- in His grand plan for this world. Our job is to focus on God and follow His Word and the path He has given to us individually without exception, comparison, or judging.

And to those who think the world is going to pot or that the USA is coming to ruin just because Obama was elected to be the next President, here's a word for you. I Corinthians 13:7 says that love always hopes and perseveres. We are called to love others. We are to hope for the best, not wallow in despair for a future that hasn't even come to pass...and may not. Just because I don't agree with all that Obama plans to do does not mean that Obama is going to send our country down the tube. Who knows but that he might improve our country on various fronts? Only God does! All we need to do is obey God by loving others -- hoping for the best in others -- and persevering if things do not go well.

Again, I'm not saying I think Obama was the best for this job (apparently he is or God would have elected otherwise) or that our country will see grand days ahead. What I'm saying, especially to Christians, is that we need to focus on our responsibility as God's children. We need to thank Him that He is in control and has our good and His glory in mind. We need to obey Him by respecting and submitting to the authorities He has placed over us. We need to love our authorities and pray for them. We need to hope for the best, taking joy in knowing our God has no limits to His sovereignty. We need to be prepared to persevere, no matter if the future is bright or dim. Our hope is in the Lord, not in any man! Frankly, I'm kind of excited to see how things are going to change and what God has in store for this world in the coming years! Not a happy excited, but an anticipatory excited...if that makes sense.

On a more personal note, I think the one thing that has touched my heart about this election stems from my recent epiphanies (see previous posts). Obama is a human being with a whole life story behind him. He's not untouchable. The man has emotions and memories just like we do. Throughout Obama's speech last night, I kept getting choked up and even cried once because I kept thinking about how his grandmother JUST missed seeing her grandson become the President Elect. And not just any President...the first African American one! To be any man just elected and know that one of the dearest women of your life missed the moment would be heartbreaking. To be any woman and think that you might miss your grandson become President would be heartbreaking.

And to be Michelle, seeing your very own husband become the next President...and you the next First Lady...and your daughters now spending a good chunk of growing up years in the White House...mind blowing!

And to be me, old enough to finally care about paying attention to my governing authorities. To see the first African American President elected. Yet another moment (like 9/11) that will go down in my history just like JFK's assassination and the moon landing did for my grandparents.

And to be my sons, whose first election of their lifetime was so incredibly historical.

Certainly a day we all will never forget.