Renovations of the Heart

September, So Far

2011-09-18T19:40:00.001-07:00

We ended August by heading on a road trip. Hurricane Irene was making its way towards the coast and heading right for us, per forecasts on Thursday prior. So, we decided to leave and make a mini vacation out of it. The girls, baby boy, my mom (Bean), and I decided to visit family in WV. Mapquest said 6-8 hours. Mapquest lies. We left after a scheduled doc visit for Little Man. Acting funny, runny nose...mommy gut said something was up. No fever, no other real symptoms except for crying when put down for naps and bed. Not unusual for babies, but unusual for him. Diagnosis? Double ear infection. So...on the road, fleeing the hurricane with a 4 year old, 2.5 year old, and 7 month old. With an ear infection. For 6-8 hours. Did I mention Mapquest lies? On a traffic-free, minimal stop trip....9 hours. Our trip? 12. Yes. 12. Was it worth it? Oh, yes. Every second of it.

Aunt Jackie made cookies with the girls. As you can see, Atalie was not excited at all. :)

Shopping in town, checking out the wagon. :) Let's just say Charis cried for 4 miles down the road when we left. Mouth wide open, hands clenched, purple-faced wailing. Not pretty.

September also brought birthday parties...one in particular stood out. A cowgirl themed party with live animals piqued CareBear's interest. In a major way. Since Little Man's room is cowboy themed, she's found lots of goodies to play with. Those "boots" on her feet would be tan socks of Brian's, and her western style dress was one of mine from childhood.

September is also grape pickin' season!!! We tried our hand at picking Muscadines and Scuppernongs. I know now that I will be skipping it next year. And probably every year for the rest of my life. Somehow I feel like I should have known that they have the consistency of phlegm. I'll leave it at that.

Little Bean...skipping the picking, mostly in it for the rolling and running.

Little Man...cute as ever, enjoyed just being with the family and watching the girls giggle, run, and taste.

CareBear also started PreK this month! She adores it. I, however, am missing her tremendously during this time. I love having some one on one w/ Attie, though. CareBear made friends immediately! Lessons are already being learned, specifically lessons like "Not Everyone Will Want to Be Your Friend." So hard. She handled it better than I did, though. :)

Little Miss Personality has been living it up with all the mommy time! She's my little Sous Chef and I let her make the Sauce for the lasagna we made. She L.O.V.E.D. it.

A picture Charis drew. Herself, Atalie (flower head), and me holding Joshua. Yes, me, with the booty bump. I was upset at first, but that's when I thought it was a drawing of my belly. :) Nope...side view, complete with rump-bump.

And finally, Uncle Jason moved to New York. He came and ate dinner with us before he left. Thankfully he's good at catching random children that violently heave themselves through the air. Glad he was ready for that...

Dragging Charis along for the ride...she was not happy to see him go. Uncle Jason is, hands down, one of her favorites. Perhaps it's because he tells her things like he only came with 3 drops of silly in him, and now they are all gone. :) Or maybe because he'll wear a child sized cowboy hat. We already miss him!!

Tea Time!

2011-07-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Bear! I found a steal of a deal on Living Social and bought Tea for Two at a local Tea Room. Charis got all fancy and we headed out for our date. The date was complete with a room full of older ladies eager to watch Bear twirl in her dress. She ordered Apple Cinnamon tea in her very own Birthday Cake teapot. And she drank the entire pot, complete with 2 sugar cubes per cup. I didn't figure out until the end that she was scooping sugar right off the bottom. Ha! This is her asking if more food is coming....she was so hungry! (or perhaps it was the novelty)

She ate her entire bowl of soup, 3 scones, a bunch of egg salad, chicken salad, cucumber, and cheese sandwiches, and a bunch of desserts.

My girls...

Not a serious face from this one... :)

2011-07-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

6 months! Cute man is already 6 months!! Weighing in at almost 18 pounds, already in 9 month clothing. Too cute for words, hands down the happiest baby ever.

His first 2 teeth popped up at 4 months, and he's got one on top and three more coming in on that top row.

His sisters are seriously in love with this boy. Care Bear is amazing with him, drawing pictures for him constantly, talking with him and "teaching" him his letters. A-Bean reads to him and calls him her "baby butter." I'm so thankful for sweet sisters that don't mind getting drooled on. He's managed to get a handful of their hand wound around his chubby little fingers more times than I can count and neither one has cried, fussed, or complained. Last time he came away with a few of Care Bear's hairs and she just laughed.

Love having this sweet baby around....love it...

There's none like her...

2011-07-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

Rough 'n' tumble, her voice often residing at a decibel level that will cause ringing of the ears, tough, adorer of babies, full steam ahead, a mind of her own (okay, stubborn), generous beyond her years, brutally honest, and a regular comedian...

She makes me laugh hysterically, sigh deeply, pray regularly, and well, clean constantly. She will literally give you her last cookie, or even every cookie. She copies what she sees (which serves as a very humbling mirror of my own behavior) and despite that, she has demonstrated grace more times than I can count.

Just tonight, after getting a stool, reaching my drink on the countertop, spilling it everywhere and then confessing before being discovered, I had one of those mommy moments. You know, the ones when your child does something so incredibly funny while you are disciplining them and you have a hard time stifling the laughter? I actually had to hide my face and pretend to cough.

As I sternly reminded her that she is NOT allowed to get things off the counter without permission, she gave me a very serious, yet confused look. So I asked, "Are you allowed to get things off the counter without asking?" She quickly replied, "No. I asked Major."

Somehow I believe she did ask the 112 pound doberman for permission to taste my drink. I guess he said yes.

Jesus, I love you!

2011-06-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

Oh the things your children can teach you, and how He can minister through them. Bear was told by her Sunday school teacher recently that they can tell Jesus they love him when they wake and when they go to sleep.

So a few nights ago, I hear her shouting LOUDLY "Jesus, I love you! Jeee-SUS! I. LOVE. YOU!" I peeked in at her and she said "Don't worry mommy. We are just praising Jesus." My heart stirred and I felt a lump rise in my throat. As I closed the door, fighting back tears, I heard her tell Bean, "Worship with me. You do it like this. I LOVE YOU JESUS! And you can say it loud, or quiet. He just likes it any way you say it."

I spent the next moments aching to relearn, to go back, to be child-like in my worship. Complete abandon. Free. 100% involved. No shame. No embarrassment. No holding back.

My girls taught me something that night, and He gently called to me.

I am so guilty of letting the business of life get to me. Groceries, cooking, teaching, cleaning, washing, budgeting, clipping coupons, paying bills, meeting needs for the family. They reminded me about Him, about His character, and His affection for me. He doesn't care how clean my house is (or rather, how dirty), how smart my kids are, how much money is in the bank (or lack of), or any of the things that I let bog me down daily. He wants me to worship, loud or quiet, and to spend time in his arms. To forget about the day and just let His love, conviction, change, forgiveness, and acceptance wash over me.

He just likes it, any way I say it.

Oh, the time...

2011-06-14T18:20:00.001-07:00

It's been so long...

Instead of dwelling on how long it's been since I've updated, I'll just start updating. :) Our little man was born in January, sharing a birthday with our little Bean. Seriously, what are the odds? And somewhere along the way, he went from this:

to this:

As babies go, they can't get much happier. :) Just had his 4 month appt today... 75% for weight, 90% for height. As soon as the nurse walked in to give shots, Bear yelled "Oh Jesus, please don't let it hurt and him cry. Amen!" Then as soon as he fussed, she burst into tears. He was over it in about 5 seconds. It took much longer to help get her settled. Such a tender heart.

When we were getting into the car to leave she added, "Mommy, when you love someone you hurt when they hurt. And you pray for them. I don't like it when brother cries." *melt!*

Bear had a speech eval done today and passed with no trouble. She was having some difficulty with the hard c/k sound and completely unable to make the g sound. After the eval (which she loved) and a free lesson for me on teaching these sounds, we are already making progress. :) I was super pleased with the testing and the test administrators. They did a full work-up (academics, language, and motor) which was kind of fun! Yay! I can't believe she's already 4... Next week the ballet and tap begins!

Bean is talking up a storm, and by storm I mean torrential downpours, tornadoes, and gale-force winds. It seems she has two modes: on and off. Mostly on. She literally talks her sister to sleep each night. And when she's not talking, she's singing.

I finally realized that long stretches of quiet at our house may be over for a while, but I sure do love the chaotic symphony of sisters giggling, someone singing loud enough to rattle your eardrums, and a baby cooing, sometimes all in unison.

Time with Daddy

2010-09-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago, Charis asked her daddy if they could go on a date. So he planned, thought, and prepared, and came up with a date perfect for such a little princess. He stopped by Panera Bread and bought some pumpkin muffies (and was questioned by the cashier about his proudly worn pink beaded bracelet, made by Charis), prepared a tea party type lunch, and took her to the Lotus Park. I love this...it's so Charis (and Brian). Gazing out at the landscape, daydreaming, and leaning on her Daddy's knee.

More Busch Gardens...

2010-09-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

Atalie's first big ride! As soon as the ride started, she yelled, "Hand!!" and grabbed Brian and Austin's hands.

September is Here!

2010-09-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

Busch Gardens, The Virginia Zoo...
Glad to see she has no personality....

July 2010

2010-08-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

Charis turned 3! (Last month..oops)

2010-07-25T17:43:00.001-07:00

Charis turned 3 last month and we had a little celebration at our house! She decided she wanted a castle cake for her princess themed party, so I tried my hand at something other than a sheet cake. :) Not terrible for a first attempt, but it was a little tilty. Our friends and family blessed her with all things girly...Fancy Nancy, princesses, dress up stuff, etc.
She had so much fun...and just for the record, she still talks about her birthday party at least every other day.

Strawberry Picking

2010-05-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

Strawberry season came and went so fast this year. We went 2-3 times a week from beginning to the end of the season. I think cool days and tons of rain ended the season earlier than expected. (boo) We found out just yesterday that the fields are pretty much closed. Only one farm that we could find still has You-Pick strawberries, and they are only expected to be able to be picked until Friday. We chose this field to pick from most days since they don't spray chemicals or pesticides on their plants.

Charis didn't eat nearly as many this year. She was more concerned with finding ladybugs (which were there in multitudes) and giving them our freshly picked berries. She was convinced that's what they wanted to eat. :)

Atalie could be found doing one of two things: tripping or eating. She ate the berries stem and all.

Can't wait 'til blueberry picking time!

2010-05-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

A little April recap, since I'm totally behind in every aspect of life these days.

Let's see...

Charis fell and busted her mouth open, warranting a trip to the ER (her first). No stitches were given, thankfully. I was pretty sure she'd get a few, considering the amount of well, hanging flesh. Sorry...no pretty way to describe that. She was such a trooper. She let the doctor, nurse, and PA all look around in her mouth without any tears or fuss.

Then Easter Sunday we went to the zoo with Brian's family. The girls had a great time!

We had our first beach play time of the year. This was Atalie's first year actually noticing that we were somewhere fun. :) Last year she mostly just sat there and attempted to eat sand.

Strawberries are in season! We went picking. The nice people at the farm told us the kids can eat whatever they wanted, so Atalie took that literally....stem, leaves, and all.

And Charis and I did some baking, as usual. :)

More pics to come...hopefully sooner than later.

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

My mom made the girls Easter bonnets! Charis pretty much wanted to wear hers everywhere and Atalie, uh...pretty much didn't. Keeping it on her head longer than 10 seconds was pretty difficult. But getting a picture in it? Barely
.
Not too happy about the dirt and grass on her feet.

Charis's glazed over smile...

We headed off to church, enjoyed service and worshiping, and then home for lunch. Then we met Brian's family at the zoo. It was perfect weather! Zoo pictures to come...

2010-03-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

Atalie is learning to feed herself, so many times after lunch time...well, she needs a good scrub down.

Charis got her first haircut! It was barely an inch but it made all the difference.

Atalie is enjoying dress up, and Charis is enjoying dressing her.

And as you can see, Atalie is developing quite the personality. :)

Pretty Pretty Princess

2010-03-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

Charis's new favorite? Princesses. Snow White, Ariel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle... I've been Snow White, Ariel's daddy, Cinderella's "bossy sisters", every prince, and each dwarf almost every day. She sings princess songs when she goes to bed, when she wakes up, and pretty much every other second of the day. Cinderella was the first movie she ever watched and she was enchanted. It's neat to see her imagination go wild, though I'm not so keen on being called Anastasia or Step Mommy. :)

Happy Birthday Major!!

2010-03-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Major's 6th birthday was on Valentine's day. The girls and I decided to bake him a cake and celebrate! Charis even sang him a little Happy Birthday to Him song. :) As all great mothers do, I put the cake pan on the floor and let my little munchkins dig in. And yes, Major got a piece too. That's the only reason the cake was vanilla instead of chocolate.

Happy birthday, you big ol' sweet dog!

Funny funny...

2010-02-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

Charis cracks me up almost daily...sometimes multiple times. Here's a little sample of what's coming out of her mouth these days.

Clutching her toys close to her chest: "I'm using my boobies to help me carry the toys"
After telling Charis we were having mashed potatoes with dinner, she said, "I don't like mashed potatoes. In the name of Jesus, I don't like mashed potatoes.
We're driving, and she's grunting in the backseat. When I asked what she was doing, she looked at me and said, "Mommy, I'm just trying to grow bigger like Daddy."
I hear her in the other room, counting. When I asked what she was counting... "I'm just counting my bones."
She came out of her room and I was doing pilates. "What's this called?" I told her it was pilates, a kind of exercise. After trying it with me, she exclaimed, "I can do exercise. I like this tuh-potties (pilates)."
She walked into the living room and yelled out, "Atalie! My goodness gracious! It is too messy!"

I love toddler talk. So much fun.

A bun in the oven

2010-02-25T11:40:00.001-08:00

We are expecting baby #3 in October. YAY! Not exactly sure of the EDD, but I have an appointment on Monday. We'll hopefully know a little more then.
We told Charis this week. She's asked a few questions this week. Things like:

"That baby in your tummy? What it doing in there?
"What hees name is?" (And when told we haven't decided yet, she said: "Atalie." We said "But we already have an Atalie." She then replied, "But I yike it.")

And my favorite:

"What we going to do with Atalie when the baby gets here?"

Ahhh...so much explaining to do.

A and C are 19 months apart. If this baby comes on time, Atalie will be about 20 months older. Atalie was 3 weeks early, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I already have a feeling time is going to fly by. Enjoying these years, that's for sure.

2010-02-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

Atalie is just learning how to eat with a spoon. I forgot what a long and messy process this can be. Apparently the first time I was into torture because I gave her a spoon to eat rice. Rice?!?! I think only one single grain made it into her mouth. Maybe. It wasn't for lack of trying, though.

So the second time I decided to give her yogurt. I know half of it ended up in her lap, on her bib, and smeared on her face, but she was so proud of herself.

SNOW!!

2010-02-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

When I was little, younger than 8, I remember having a huge snowfall here. So much snow, in fact, that we used 10 gallon buckets to make bricks for the igloo we built. An igloo big enough where we could crawl in it and play. I think once since then our city has had a decent snow perhaps once, but I was away at college. Our pitiful snowfalls have been mostly a dusting since I've graduated college, which has been at least 8 years.

Until this past weekend.

When I heard the forecast, I'll be honest. I scoffed, laughed, rolled my eyes, and maybe even mocked...but inside, secretly hoped. Wow...what would a great snow be like? Waking up to a blanket of white?

It was everything I'd hoped for!

Here's Charis's expression when I opened the blinds for her to look at our overnight blessing.

Though the snow wasn't really wet enough to manage a good snowman, I couldn't complain.

We scraped one together, made snow angels, we all tasted snow cream for the first time, and Charis...she happily sat and ate snow.

And ate, and ate, and ate. She loved it so much that in the evening, I put out a blanket, filled some bowls, and brought some snow inside for the girls to play with (and eat).

Atalie, sadly, did not care for the snow.

Perhaps it was the way I bundled her with stockings, socks, pants, legwarmers, plastic bags, onesies, turtlenecks, gloves, a hat, and her snowsuit. :) I'm not exaggerating. Or maybe it was that every time she finally managed to stand, she'd walk a step or two and do a face plant in the freshly fallen fluff. She's only been walking for a few weeks now, so her skills are in the fine tuning stage still. As soon as she got out of the wind and sat on the front steps, she was happy again.

That is, until decided to try to mosey her way over to Charis, anxious to join in her fun. That resulted in another face plant. And tears. Her second trip out in the snow was a little more successful. Take off a few layers, add in a laundry basket for good measure (and balance).

Okay, so she doesn't look like she was having a great time. But it was an improvement!

Even Major had a good time. He caught snowballs, and he and Charis enjoyed a nice little snow feast together.

Mmm. Snow pizza!

After 3 days of snow on the ground, I'm still a little sad to see it melting. I'm still hoping...winter's not over yet!

I'm over it...almost

2010-02-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

*sigh* It's been over a month. I'm done. No more Christmas pictures. I think. Maybe. Let's see if I can finish this once and for all.

mmmmmmm...cookies.

Watching Snow White sing on YouTube.

Classic Atalie and Charis. :) Lovely.

It's almost sad...

2010-01-30T12:07:00.000-08:00

...how long it's taken me to download Christmas pictures and post them. Okay, not almost. It is sad. Here's my 2nd to last post on Christmas. Seriously. I'm pretty sure.
Grandmama and Charis. She's in her nineties!!

Charis's new toothbrush. She loves to brush those teeth!

Keex showing Atalie how to ride her horsie.

We were making faces, and this was a genuine happy face. Usually I get that goofy squinty eye thing.

This was in response to "Charis, look at the camera!"

Merry Christmas, Major!

Ta-Da! Charis's Cinderella castle!

11 months is a hard age for presents, I think. She was thrilled though. Especially with the paper and the boxes. "Let's see how many inanimate objects I can eat" is her favorite game.

Opening...

Hunt Club Farm!

Daddy's girls!

Matching baby blue eyes!

Being goofy together

Atalie and her auntie!

Hands in her pockets...she looks so grown!

Kisses for the sis...

That turned into this! Doesn't it look like she's trying to off her sister? This is how she "gently" grabbed her sister to kiss her to kiss her for the second time.

Getting the girls bundled! Charis was REALLY excited.

This house was allllll lit up!

Touring the neighborhood, looking for lights!

All lit up! I came home one day and Bri had surprised me by hanging up the lights! YAY!

No, our yard isn't on fire. That's my lack of camera skills at work. :)

Church, in her Christmas duds, with Uncle Jason

In her Christmas fancy.

Atalie is 1!!!

2010-01-30T11:24:00.000-08:00

Atalie turned one last week and we had a little celebration for her at the house. She's 23.5 pounds now! She's now walking all over the place. She always has a bruise on her face from falling...mostly in her crib. She's not afraid to fall or take some chances. When she was learning to walk she would just let go and free fall. If she was my first I probably would have freaked. She officially has 4 teeth that all came in this month. She's a big eater and pretty adventurous in her eating. She's eaten (and liked) salmon, tilapia, lasagna, southwest beef stew, tomato basil soup, and more. She pretty much will eat whatever we are having for dinner. She loves kid food, too, like macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, and squeals in excitement when she sees a hot dog. Her favorite person in the world is her Bean right now. She prefers her over me!

We had a great time...the kids played, we ate subs and cupcakes, and then Atalie got to open presents. Actually, I think I opened them. She had no idea what to do. :)

This was her first (and maybe only) bite of the cupcake. She was not a fan. Most of it ended up in her ear and on her hands.

The kiddos played in Charis's room.

Later she opened up the gift from the family. She'd figured out what to do. That is, if "what to do" is pull off some paper and try to eat it. Close enough.

Lights at the Boardwalk

2010-01-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

This will be the first year that we as a family have driven to the Boardwalk to see the lights! Every year they close off the boardwalk at night and have a huge lights display. You spend some of the time with the windows down, so we bundled the girls up and headed out!

Atalie didn't really get to enjoy it much, being rear facing and kind of low in the seat. She was mostly entertained by Charis and me.As you can see, she got reeeally sleepy.

Brian chauffeured us. :)

Charis loved it...she's a Christmas light fanatic. She actually cried this year when she realized we'd have to take down the lights.

Tree Decorating and Our First "Snow"

2010-01-27T07:30:00.000-08:00

As you can see I'm frantically trying to play catch up with our Christmas pictures.

Here's Charis decorating her silver tree in her bedroom. She chose glittery blue and silver ornaments to put on the tree.

Decorating the tree was a little more challenging this year. I forget how much stuff we unpack with all the boxes, the ornament hooks, the tissue paper, and sooooo many tree needles calling "eat me!" to Atalie. Charis was 6 months old on her first Christmas and had no interest in the tree. At 18 months she listened well enough that the tree wasn't an issue. Atalie is the perfect age to be completely intrigued AND conveniently selective in her hearing when given instructions. (Did she not hear me or is the wooing of the tree and it's glistening ornaments too much for her?)

I caught a random hug...one with Charis gently snuggling her sister and Atalie not screaming about possible strangulation.

And here's the first snow of the year. Mostly ice. Perhaps our only snow as tomorrow it's going to be near 60 degrees. *sigh* Sometimes I wish for the snows we used to have. I remember using 10 gallon buckets to build igloos in the backyard, my feet sinking shin deep in snow as I cried in the middle of the yard because I was cold but didn't want to go inside. I was younger than 10 last time that happened.
Here's our piddly snow this year. No matter how grumpy I was to wake up and see the "Storm of the Year" amounting to the frost on the veggies in my freezer, Charis was delighted. Yes, she's still in her pajamas. I had to rush her out there...it was melting that fast.

She was so happy. Thankfully it doesn't take much. Maybe I need to be a little (or a lot) more like that.

Christmas Crafts, etc

2010-01-26T11:46:00.000-08:00

We did a few (okay, quite a few) Christmas activities this year. I didn't get pictures of them all, but here's a sampling of what I did get.

Chocolate covered pretzels...

reindeer cookies...

Salt dough ornaments...

Then painting those ornaments...

Making sugar cookies...then decorating!

or as you may have noticed, more eating than decorating...

Reindeer handprint art...

and we made snowman pancakes on multiple days!

2010-01-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Bath time is a regular fun-fest here for the girls. Well, on most occasions. On this particular day they were singing, playing, splashing...really in rare form. Charis decided that Atalie was going to be her princess building canvas today instead of the tub walls. Strangely, Atalie had no problem with that.

Then Charis had a great idea. Do you see it coming? Notice the unsuspecting victim happily splashing with her foam letters and princesses stuck to her head.

A play by play, just for you... This was literally about 1 second before everything got a little chaotic and, well, reeeally loud.

In case you aren't sure, that cup of water was dumped directly over Atalie's head.

So Atalie started crying (understandably since she sucked in a good noseful of water). You know how everything in the bathroom sounds louder? Oh, yeah. Atalie's crying made Charis cry. And even when Atalie stopped, Charis still cried.

So, the continual crying (sobbing, wailing...it all fits) made Atalie cry harder. Atalie cries with her lips closed. Charis cries so hard she turns a little purple...mouth wide open, with everything she's got.

And then it was head tilted back wailing. I just had to start laughing. The more I laughed, however, the harder Charis cried. The drama struck me as really funny for some odd reason.

So before I rescued them from their pool of misery, I snapped a few more pictures. I mean, who wouldn't want to record this sweet little memory? :)

Warm beginnings

2010-01-15T19:52:00.000-08:00

December started a little on the warm side here. We got lots of rain. Rain, puddles, and toddlers can be a fun mix.

I decided on this pleasant December day to do a little straightening in the garage. Charis had a great time practicing on her tricycle. When she went running around the corner, she slipped and fell in the mud. (Notice the happy face).

She looked at me to see what I'd say. My response?

"Why don't you roll in it? That's what I'd do!"

So she did.

And she dipped her hair in it.

And jumped in it.

That was a fun day.

Tree Hunting....a little late

2009-12-31T12:06:00.000-08:00

Things have been so busy around here this month. I have taken over 1000 pictures this month (no exaggeration) and have yet to record the memories. It may take a few posts, but I'll do my best!!

A yearly tradition for us is going to the tree lot, finding a live tree, and then going out to get dessert. This was Atalie's first and Charis's 3rd trip. Though we chose our tree quickly, we played in the lot a little. Charis had a blast running around the trees and being chased by Paw Paw. Atalie, as usual, just took it all in. Charis loves running around the lot, weaving in and out of the trees. Atalie was just happy to be with family. We finally decided on a small tree, much smaller than previous years. It ended up being perfect for Charis to help decorate.

After loading the trees up on Paw Paw and Bean's car, we headed off to Applebee's. I was not happy to find that my favorite splurge, The Apple Chimi-Cheesecake, had been discontinued. Atalie had a great time at the table, tasted her first lemon, and made a huge mess on the floor. Charis devoured her ice cream. Are you surprised to hear that she had a hard time winding down for the evening?

YUM!

Forgot these...

2009-12-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

Here's a few pics I forgot for Thanksgiving...
Keex and Atalie snuggling...

The girls and Bean and Paw Paw dancing...

Paw Paw reading a self-edited version of Cinderella...

Atalie listens intently. :)

And stories told by Uncle Jason.

It's been a while...

2009-12-03T12:16:00.000-08:00

since I've updated. Lots has been going on!

Some things don't change. Yes, this is normal around our house.

The recent Nor'easter took out half of 2 of the trees in our front yard. Bradford Pears are not the sturdiest of trees. I rode down the street after the storm passed and a neighbor had one of those scarecrow-on-a-stick yard decorations still standing. But, no, not our tree. Maybe I should have staked a scarecrow to our trees.

Brian strapped Atalie to his back and proceeded to rake up the remaining mess in our yard.
Snow White helped. Well, sang and twirled in circles. Close enough.

Since then Atalie has been sick and managed to get a black eye at church. Pitiful, huh?

Of course that goofy picture was the one that showed her black eye the best. :)
Next came Thanksgiving. Brian worked this Thanksgiving, so the girls and I went to my parents' house and spent the day with them.

The next day Charis helped clean in anticipation of Thanksgiving #2.
Brian was home for this one and we invited both of our families over. I cooked my first turkey, which went amazingly well! I forgot to take a before picture, but here's the carcass. Just what you wanted to see, right? I have since been informed that, yes, that is a little weird.

Charis played her version of football in the front yard with Brian and her cousins. She busted her lip, but she was having so much fun that she didn't even care.

Then Sunday we had Thanksgiving #3 with Brian's entire family (grandparents, cousins, uncles, etc etc) in North Carolina. The girls slept on the way there and woke up just as we arrived. The firefighters posed for a picture (or 20, since I was taking them). They have a great yard and field, so Charis played with her cousins outside and got nice and muddy. Atalie chowed down on sweet potatoes, rolls, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. It was a hit! Then Carie graciously rocked her so she could catch a quick snooze.

This week it's been leftovers (my favorite!). I made a yummy apple pie using leftover cranberry sauce. YUM! And Charis made Brian a turkey sandwich. Well, mayonnaise sandwich with some turkey. :)

A Day to Remember

2009-11-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

On one of the pretty fall days we had this month we decided to go for a treasure hunt. Well, treasures to Charis. She loves looking for leaves, sticks, rocks, pine cones, acorns...pretty much anything she can find outside. Near our house is a patch of woods and a small (and when I say small, I mean small) hill. So we packed up our basket and stroller, bundled up, and headed off.
This is Charis's first find. A stick. She was desperately trying to break it. I loved watching her...it reminded me of how small she is. It was such a struggle to break this twig, but she really delighted in the struggle. I glanced at her a moment later, and she told me she was watching the leaves fall. Well, "I yooking at tall yeebs tall down," translated as "I'm enjoying the visual splendor of the autumn foliage as it tumbles aimlessly through the breeze." Her daddy loves leaves, forests, land, and all things wild and secluded; she reminds me so much of him sometimes.

Lost in her sweet little thoughts...

It wasn't posed, promise. She was in her own little world, soaking up every bit of fresh air before I tortured her by making her go home and eat lunch. :)
And Atalie watched her sister tumble down the "hill" and roll in the leaves. Then Charis decided to try to teach Atalie how to roll around.

I think Charis was feeding Atalie a leaf...mmm....
I think this day will be etched in my memory for a long time.

Too much pie...

2009-11-09T06:38:00.001-08:00

I ate waaay too much pie last night. But I'd been waiting for last night for weeks now. Of course, in all the talking, eating, and tripping on children, I forgot to pick up my camera. So disappointing. That's okay...there's always next year.
I got plenty of flack (and jokes) about having a pie party. There's was even a very long (and amusing) thread about the pie party on Facebook. The idea was simple: friends, families, thanksgiving, and dessert. I've been wanting to have friends over for a while now. I love party atmospheres so much.
What I really like doing is stepping back and watching the party for a little while. To stand back, listening to the laughing, watching people enjoy each other, meeting new people, and just spending time together. I wish I was better at telling people that I'm thankful for them. Because I am. More than I can express. I'm not so good at that.
I love holiday decorations, the smell of cinnamon and apple cider, and just spending time with friends. I know that a crowded party atmosphere isn't the best time to have deep, meaningful conversations. But I think having people over, opening our home, and teaching my children to be thankful is important. Charis was a bit overwhelmed by all the children (I think we counted 15?) and all the sharing that indefinitely goes with that many kids. There were a few tears, but all-in-all it was great.
We sampled apple pies, keylime, Snickers, chocolate maple pecan, pumpkin cheesecake, coconut, blueberry banana, snickerdoodle, strawberry cheesecake, and chocolate mousse pie. There was a little Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving action and even a little pie thief...one little guy who managed to work his way around all the people and stick his finger in a few pies about 8 or 10 times. :)
Atalie happily played in her exersaucer, rolled all around, and recieved the only battle wound of the night; she rolled right on a crown. Or as one guest described it, the "bear trap." That's a pretty accurate description.
Charis relaxed as the night went on (for those of you that don't know, she's not crazy about large crowds). I did catch her sticking her finger in another child's pie while they read a story as if it was completely normal to stick your finger in someone else's food and eat it without them giving you permission. The little girl graciously said, "It's okay" in that tone of voice that also said, "I deal with this all the time. Don't you know I have 2 sisters? It's no big deal." As soon as the party ended Charis asked for permission to retreat to the solitude of her room to play, alone, for a little while. Did I mention she wanted to be alone?
Brian had an amazing, God-ordained opportunity to pray with our neighbor in the front yard for God's hand of health to be over her granddaughter...in the middle of the party. I love how unexpected God can be. How amazing for God to arrange a chance to connect with a rarely-seen neighbor in the middle of a party. J&A...God used you, too, because you left at the perfect time for Brian to run into our neighbor.
And Major...well, he ended up with a coffee bath on the back porch. He was a little too excited to see his Java-toting visitor.
So after a big clean-up (but not nearly as much as I expected...thanks Megan and Hannah!), next on the agenda is bathing the dog.
Well, after I plan the Cereal Party for January.

Halloween '09

2009-11-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun Saturday night. Charis was Sleeping Beauty and Atalie was a Hunny Pot from Winnie-the-Pooh. Friends joined us for pizza and then we headed out. I loved hearing Charis say, "Cheek or Cheek, please" at the houses.

Atalie was a little unsure of the whole costume thing, but took it in stride.

Notice she started the night in heels. Brian thought ahead and carried slippers in his back pocket. We could still see our house and she started limping along, claiming her feet didn't hurt. I mean, c'mon, the heels lit up when she would walk. It was almost worth the pain, I'm sure. Almost.

The girls got a little hot in their costumes. It was such a warm night! I can't remember a Halloween that we didn't freeze.

Charis was allowed to choose a treat from her basket. She chose Candy Corn (gag).

Love this one!

Later Wolverine came by for a visit. When Jason gave me a hint about his costume, all I got was, "I had to use a belt sander." What kind of crazy (and useless) clue is that?

Makes sense now.

All in all I think it was a lot of fun for everyone. Well, almost everyone. I don't think those trick-or-treaters liked it when they were told that we didn't have candy here. Um, hello? No front porch light on= no candy. Hasn't that always been the rule????

I still felt a little guilty, though.

But only a little. What happened to all that leftover candy last year? That's right. I ate it. I vowed to not make that mistake again and unfortunately the trick-or-treaters suffered. Sorry guys. Maybe next year.

Hunt Clubbin'

2009-11-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun at Hunt Club this year. We met Ashley and Jason and took the kids to see the pumpkins, hay pile, and the petting zoo. Then off to Panera for dinner. Charis loved the hay...it was everywhere. Panera, however, not so much. She's still talking about the "tary paxapone" (scary saxaphone) music. Of all things not to like...

Fall Fun!

2009-10-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I've been co-authoring another blog on learning activities for children. I realized today that I've share my ideas and pictures on that particular site, but not here. Here's what we've been up to:

Our November countdown calendar is up and ready to go for Sunday!

We painted apples and did apple printing for thank you cards.

Here's Charis's wreath she made. Yes, she did it all herself.

Painting fall trees with Do-A-Dot art markers.

Our fall leaves chocolate chip filled cookies.

Pumpkin Pie Popsicles! Yum!

Pumpkin magnets!

Our wall hanging! We are thankful for Fall!

Taming My Wild Beasts

2009-10-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

Brian's parents, Mimi and Da, brought by a bunch of costumes for the girls this past week. This is my little wild lion trying on her possible costume.

She wasn't sure what to think of the mane at first.

Practing her "roar"...no, really I think she was trying to eat the camera. The closer I got, the wider her mouth opened.

Brian got in on the fun, too. His head nearly came with the hood when he tried to get that thing off.

Appararenly Charis thought we were shooting a slow-mo shot for a kung-fu movie. Looks like Atalie is getting a roundhouse kick to the back of the head.

Why is it so hard to get a good photo of two kids at the same time?

These were my best shots of them together.

Sad.

Though Charis (again) looks like she's attempting to play whack-a-mole on Attie's head, and Atalie looks like she's using her Jedi skills to block her...

no. Actually Atalie is (again) trying to taste something. This time, Charis's costume. And Charis, well, she's just wiggling. What else is new?

My Gym!

2009-10-19T04:50:00.000-07:00

For Charis's birthday, her Uncle Jason and Aunt KeeKee got her a 3 month membership to My Gym. It's been so much fun!! Every Monday (and every time we get in the car) I hear, "We going My Gym, Mommy?"

She's climbing to kiss Mr. Bear.

Her favorite...the ball pit!!

Circle time! Not her favorite (since it involves stopping free play), but once the music starts, she's all smiles again.

Thank you Jason and Keex for the amazing gift! They even let Atalie roll around in a walker while Charis plays. Big thanks to Bean for babysitting Attie while Charis and I spent a little time together.

Brian has officially decided that we now need a rock wall, balance bean, and hanging swings in Charis's room.

Almost on the move...

2009-10-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

Just a few update shots of Attie-bean (notice the tongue is out in most pictures). She's 8.5 months and attempting to crawl. There's a lot of knee-rocking going on, and a few face-plants forward. She loves her sister to pieces and can't get enough of her! Still no teeth, though I think she's working on some.

There's a few outbursts of tears when I leave the room, but she's done within 10 seconds. I guess she doesn't miss me that much. :)

She also lights up when her daddy walks in the room. Definitely a daddy's girl. She'll stare him down until he notices her and will screech in attempt to get his attention. Feeding her with him around is a no-go...all she wants to do is gaze lovingly at him and perform just to see him smile at her.

She likes to be read to, but mostly in hopes of tasting the book. Atalie loves being outside--the windier, the better.

She's finding her voice, which can be heard if the room is mostly quiet. Otherwise she's busily taking everything in, waiting her turn to be heard.

Babies, bugs, and baths!

2009-10-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

Bathtime has gotten to be a lot of fun around here. Atalie happily chewing her washcloth and Charis lining bugs around the rim of the tub.

And of course, a serenade or two from my girls.

Her lyrics: Zip-ee-doo-da, Zip-ee-aye. My goodness, wonder day. Penny sunshine in my way. Zip-ee.....Everybody ready go swimming!"

Our new playset!

2009-10-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

We were recently blessed by our neighbors with a play set. Their youngest son had outgrown it and they wanted to know if we'd like to have it. That decision required no thought.

So when Brian came home the next morning, I asked him, "Guess what you get to do this weekend?" :)

The neighbors even disassembled it for us and helped carry it over. Since Brian is such a handyman. He quickly assembled the play set. It's not hooked up yet, but there's even a teeter-totter on the end.

When Charis got up from her nap, I told her to look out the window and asked her what she saw. Her eyes got wide..."A park!"

So...we now have a "park" in our backyard. Yay!

Charis is even learning to slide....

head first.

It was slow and painful (to watch) at first, but she got there!

$1 Poonkin head

2009-09-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

I'm such a sucker for those dollar bins at Target. I needed one thing...and it wasn't the felt pumpkin toboggan I came out with. I know! "Everyone needs one of those!," you say. You should have seen all those glistening goodies staring at me as I loaded the girls up in the double cart (which, by the way, cart-maker-guys...good thinking!). Cute little buckets, Princess stickers and paraphernalia, candy corn socks, $1 boxes of M&M's...I resisted so much. But alas...

For the record, $1 for a box of M&M's is not a deal. But I do like M&M's.

I went in for shoes for Charis. I came out with a pumkin toboggan, Cinderella sheets, and yes, shoes.

Candy corn socks just weren't in the cards. I did put those in the cart, but when I got to the register there wasn't a barcode. Intervention. (And I was not getting out of line and digging through a pile of unorganized socks to find one with a barcode while 2 hungry girls get antsy. Not worth it.)

Look at all the cuteness $1 can get. Before: Cute little baby. After: Cute little baby in a cheaply made felt pumpkin hat. Totally worth the dollar. She couldn't have been happier as I squished that almost too small hat down on her head for a photo op. Charis tried so hard to get the "poonkin head" on. If only they'd had one in Charis's size too...oooh...and some candy corn socks for her, too....and they did have this $1 pumpkin t-shirt...

Delightfully squishy...

2009-09-26T12:20:00.001-07:00

...that's how I describe my little Attie-bean.

She is one sweet little baby. Cheeks you could just eat up, staring you down until you smile at her, and toothless and chewing on everything in sight. Newest accomplishments: working her core, plank-style...skipping rolling over (she's done it a few times and she's not so interested) and trying to go straight to crawling...hands out, sleepwalking style, until she grabs something to put in her mouth...and the lovely "happy scream."

She turned 8 months old this week!

Uh-bow-sheens

2009-09-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

When I went in to get Charis this morning after Roomtime, she was quietly "reading" her bible to Minnie Mouse. As soon as she saw me, she said, "Mommy, I doing uh-boe-sheens wif NeeNee Mouse."
Me: I'm so glad you're doing devotions with Minnie. What are you reading about?
Charis: Hosanna!! Yay! Jesus!! (Hands raised).

Then (I wish I had my camera) she bowed her head, closed her eyes, and prayed:

"Dear Jesus, thank you I reading my bible. Thank you for NeeNee. Thank you uh-bow-sheens. I happy. I love you (which sounded like "I yub yew"). A----MEN!!!"

...melt......

Happy 1st day of Fall!!

2009-09-22T06:12:00.001-07:00

Happy Fall everyone!! Things have been a little hectic around here, so here's a brief update:

*Atalie is busy, busy, busy! Her EEG was 100% normal. No episodes at all! She is on the move...or at least attempting. Atalie loves her walker and makes it her mission to grab everything in sight. Here she is in plank position. Rolling...not so interested. But yesterday and today she's been on all fours, rocking. So I'm guessing rolling is not on the agenda...straight to crawling. She's full of surprises!

*Charis started her membershing at My Gym yesterday (thanks Keex!!) and LOVES it. It's a perfect outlet for her. She gets to meet some new kids her age and burn some energy. We're still debating about potty training. Not quite sure if she's ready (or if I'm ready...I get a very chaotic Wal-mart scenario in my head).

*We've been busy with Fall crafts and activities around the house. She's painting a Fall tree in this picture.

*Brian is busy at CBN and the FD. He's prepping for DPO school that's coming soon. Days are full of work, nights are full of studying.

*I've been busy with the girls (of course) and also working on classwork for the Child Health and Nutrition class I'm taking. Interesting, but time consuming.

*And Major? Well, he finds ways to entertain himself. Yes... there is a 112 pound doberman, fast asleep, in this picture.

A little taste of our visit to Target...

2009-09-18T06:37:00.001-07:00

We recently went to Target and Charis decided to grace all the customers with a little song...her own little version of "Jesus Loves Me." She repeated her performance later at home, for your viewing pleasure.

Children's Learning Activities

2009-09-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you that are interested, 2 other ladies and myself have started a new blog. It's called Children's Learning Activities. It features activities, tips, crafts, helpful websites and new ideas for fun and learning with your children. There are toddler, preschool, and elementary school age activities included.
Looking for something new to do with your kids? Having trouble teaching a specific skill? Check out the site and see if there's anything that might help.
The link is on the side of my page, or go to:
http://learningdevelopmentactivities.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Fun, Sun, and Naked Windsurfing!

2009-09-07T10:23:00.000-07:00

Some highlights from the rest of the trip....

Atalie did not enjoy laying in the sand.

Yes, naked windsurfing. A new favorite for Charis.

Atalie and Charis in the pool on the 3rd floor deck.

Atalie did like this water. And the wind. She squealed every time it blew hard across her face.

Perfect day!!
He doesn't look too overprotective, right? (He was kidding).

Uncle Jason joined in the fun.

Yay for blanket time (a.k.a. Mom-can-drink-her-coffee-with-minimal-noise-at o-dark-thirty-in-the-morning-time)
Atalie's first time in the walker. Love!
Awww. Aren't we so cute? Yes, I'm in the water. Mark it down. You may never get another chance to see a picture like this again.

His Healing Rain

2009-09-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

As some of you remember, Charis went in for an MRI and EEG months ago when doctor's (and parents) were concerned about some limping and pain in her foot. It was there, then it faded. God moved and the tests were fine. Praise Him!

So once again we find ourselves in the same place. This time with Atalie. For the past few weeks I've noticed some head-bobbing and eye flutters at meals. I figured maybe gas, or even just a baby thing. They do funny things, you know? Kind of like when you hear about kids banging their head on the crib to soothe themselves to sleep. Then I noticed it in the exersaucer. And during tummy time. Not constantly, never a pattern, and never very long. I told myself I was over-reactioning 100 times. Okay, way more than that. And I fought (and mostly won) my urge to google medical conditions. (Never, never a good idea when you don't have a diagnosis). Finally I caught it on camera and called the doctor's office. The doctor took a look at the video and said, "It could be nothing. But I'm pretty sure it's a petit mal seizure. Which, if you are going to have a seizure disorder, that's the one you'd want to have." Really?!? Not exactly my choice of seizures, to be honest. I'd prefer the ones in the "none" category. So an EEG is scheduled very soon (miraculously, again...these things usually take weeks to get in for appointments). Tuesday at 8:30 AM. The doctor said we are hoping it's just the normal baby head-bobbing. Duh.

Thankfully I can do more than hope. We don't have to carry this alone, even though it's so hard to let go of. How is it that worry and pain and fear...the things we so desperately desire to get rid of...are the hardest to let Him have?

I fought against writing anything about this tonight. I didn't want people to think, "Again? Didn't she have an EEG for her other child too?" I didn't want to come across like a worrier, like a hypochondriac, or overly dramatic. But if I'm really honest and tell you how I feel, rather than give you the Sunday School answer, I am a little worried. And it's not hypochondria because the doctor validated my concerns after seeing it on video. And it is dramatic to me; this is my precious gift, my sweet baby girl.

Once again we get the chance to see Him move. I didn't expect it here. And again, if I'm brutally honest, I didn't want it this way. And though I feel nervous about the outcome, I know He will move and He will be glorified. Atalie literally means "The Lord is exalted."

He gave us her name for a reason.

Let His healing rain fall...

Rodanthe....day 1

2009-09-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Rodanthe by lunchtime on Friday afternoon. Charis was more than eager to get to the beach. So right after naps, we headed off to the beach. It was incredibly humid, but the water was really great (or so they tell me. I didn't even stick my toe in.) Brian loaded Charis on his back and we rotated Atalie between the rest of us. She's no light-weight, that's for sure.

Atalie loved watching Charis run up and down the beach. She got her first taste (literally) of sand, too.

And my favorite shot of all...

Silly Goose

2009-08-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

When you are in the mood for something sweet and you don't have the right ingredients, sometimes it's necessary to improvise. Like making smores...no graham crackers? We used animal crackers. No chocolate bars? We used mini chocolate chips. No marshmallows? Um...well, we did have marshmallows. Pop those suckers in the oven and Ta-Da! Dessert in a pinch.

Charis and I set up a little picnic in the kitchen and I even gave her milk in a "grown-up" glass (reminding her every few seconds not to drop it, bite it, spill it....) The combinations gave her a case of the giggles, so I quickly grabbed the camera. She did not disappoint. Enjoy!

Squeaky Clean!

2009-08-23T04:57:00.000-07:00

The girls got their first bath together this past week! Charis was delighted to have a friend to play with in the tub. The little mother in Charis came out when she decided to help give Atalie her bath. Good thing Attie didn't mind the facial scrub-down. Atalie thinks Charis is hilarious, which really helps.

Squeaky clean!

Now weighing in...

2009-08-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

Atalie turned 6 months at the end of June. I've been waiting to post this because her doctor's appointment wasn't until yesterday. I needed to get my stats in order. :)

Height: 27.5 inches (95%ile)

Weight: 19 pounds exactly (90%ile)

I've been wondering why Charis's old clothes aren't fitting her so well. I kept thinking How much did I shrink these? But, Atalie has caught up with Charis. Charis was only 6 ounces more at this age, and Atalie is 2.5 inches taller. Ah-ha! No wonder I'm having trouble with those crotch-snappy-things on all her clothes. And she's in a bigger diaper size, too. So, just turning 6 months old and in 9-12 month clothes, and some of Charis's 12 month clothes.

She's babbling a lot, when she can get a word in around Charis. :) She tends to be very quiet in public, taking it all in. She loves standing, smacks her big ol' belly when she's excited. No teeth yet, no rolling. Though I'm not surprised with all that tubba-tub to get moving. She loves peas, despises applesauce, and still loves tummy time. Not much hair yet, though the little bit that is coming in looks really blonde.

And she managed to get her toes in her mouth. Yay! I love it when they do that. There's a lot of grunting and straining involved, but the toes do manage to get there for a second or so.

I do loooove me some chunky babies.

The Fine Art of Jewelry Making

2009-07-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

And by fine art, I mean chenille stems and jewels (also known as pipe cleaners and plastic beads).

Charis and I were talking about having a giving heart and being kind to others. So we decided to make bracelets for a few people. Brian and our 9 year old neighbor named Joey were on the list, but I wasn't sure how either would feel with a bracelet. Brian might feel conflicted to wear man jewelry all day as not to hurt her feelings and Joey...well, he'd probably just be confused.

This is also a great activity to practice motor skills. Threading is tough work for a 2 year old! We took our craft outside to enjoy the nice weather (and to avoid microscopic beads rolling into every nook and cranny in the house). I debated on whether or not to drag everything outside, but Major gobbling up every bead that rolled his way like they were little mini doggy treats and me, awkwardly chasing 1000 self-propelled jewels across the kitchen floor (over and over and over) helped solidify my decision.

Eventually she just had fun dumping beads. :)

She's proud of her bracelets!

The finished product!

S'mores!

2009-07-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for an ultra-hot summer day that is also cloud free, but unfortunately those days have been few and far between. It's the only time so far this year I've wished for temperatures in the upper 90's. See, I have this super fun activity to do with Charis---s'mores that bake in the sun!! Get yourself a pizza box, aluminum foil, s'mores ingredients, and you are ready to go!

Unfortunately, the sun, weather, Brian's schedule, and my patience have not been cooperating. So....we decided to make them in the oven. If you haven't done it before, here's how it goes:

Step 1: Gather supplies and lay out your s'mores on the baking sheet. Oven should be set around 375 degrees.Step 2: While assembling, taste the ingredients for freshness and taste.
Step 3: If you are Charis, you taste again by gracefully shoving a marshmallow in your mouth with one finger. Step 4: Bake for 4-6 minutes.

Step 5: If you are trying to avoid the squishy, chocolaty mess (it will squirt out the sides) from getting on your furniture, I suggest consuming them at the table. But, if you are looking for fun and a little danger, try spreading out a few towels on the couch or floor. That's what we did. I know, I'm wild and crazy like that. ;)

Step 6: Happily devour.

Camping Preparations!

2009-07-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

Brian and a few other guys went camping in West Virginia this past weekend. Brian had been looking forward to this trip for a long time.

In preparation for his outdoor adventure, he set up his tent in the backyard and he and Charis played. She was VERY excited. She pulled on the Moo-Cow boots and was ready to go!!

At first the tent was all fun and games.

We found out that she happens to like the dirt that goes along with camping about as much as I do.

Which is not much. Oh, I like to dream about being adventurous. In my mind I think Camping with the family! What's not to love? And then I think about it...heat, sweating, lack of shower, catching my hotdog on fire over the campfire, burning my smores, waking in the middle of the night and praying the bears don't eat me while I stumble through the woods to find the bathroom...I could go on and on. So right now I'll let Brian enjoy the wilderness and I'll enjoy tent camping...in my backyard. Maybe by the time I'm 30 my adventurous side will "kick in."

Big Girl Bed!

2009-07-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

When Atalie was born, Charis was 19 months old. She was so comfortable in her crib that we hesitated to make the transition to a new bed at the same time a new sibling was coming into the picture. This week we made the move to a new "Big Girl" bed with Charis. The first week...love love love. She was asking...no, begging...to go to bed. The second week? "I yike the crib. Where can crib be?" (yike= like, just in case you weren't sure.)

And today?

As soon as I walked out of the door, this happened:

Charis: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Me: It's time for a nap. If you need something, you don't need to scream. Just say, "Mommy I need you."

Charis: Mommy, I need tumping. (something)

Me: What do you need?

Charis: (long pause) uh, chocolate chips??

Me: (about to burst from holding in laughter, yet speaking in my best fake firm voice) It's time for a nap.

I understand, though. I often need chocolate chips, too. ;)

I love that they love each other!

2009-07-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

They look like 2 little old ladies getting ready to go shopping!

The girls had so much fun dressing up. Thanks MeMe for a great dress up box! I think I had just as much fun as they did.

Oatmeal starfish and more!

2009-07-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

Charis and I have started Theme Weeks. Our first week's topic: the beach! I dug out all my beach and water books and we learned about a different animal each day. We started with starfish. We read a book on starfish, made our own starfish by cutting out a star on blue and red paper (yes, some starfish are really blue), and gluing oatmeal to the outside to make it bumpy in texture. Tuesday we made a crab, Wednesday a jellyfish, Thursday we painted fish, and Friday we made an Ocean in a Bottle. ( crafts.kaboose.com/ocean-in-a-bottle.html) We had a sea shell hunt in pink sand (woo-hoo for Crayola sand!), hid seashells in the house to find, and examined real starfish, sand dollars, conch shells, and coral. We made sand pictures and played in her sandbox outside and dug for hidden treasures in the sandbox (our own mini beach). Some fun stories we read were The Rainbow Fish, The Fidgety Fish, and The Clumsy Crab. Digging for seashells!
After we found the shells, she decided to get in the bowl.

And some sand in the hair... which, incidentally, I am still finding.

She had a great time! (And so did I!) Next theme....bugs!

Fun (and tears) in the Sun!

2009-07-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

There are so many great things about having my parents live close. The kids love them, I really enjoy seeing and talking to my mom, it's cozy and inviting, they always seem glad to see us. I could go on and on. I've never really been crazy about the pool, so it hasn't been on my list of highlights. I need a hot day with an even hotter pool. I'm talking 90+ degrees. You know, a gigantic hot tub. Everyone insists that the pool is there to refresh you. My opinion? It's hard to feel refreshed when you are shivering and have to do a tip-toe dance just to get used to the water. You know the dance. You hop in, arms pulled up near your chest, fists balled, up on your tippy toes, stomach sucked in, a poor attempt to keep the cool water from touching your bare stomach. And don't forget the agonized facial expression. Yes, that sounds like fun to me.

Charis and Brian do not share my opinion.

Charis wanted to jump off the diving board first...

She was very excited to jump into Brian's arms. I think she did this about 100 times.Then it was Atalie's turn! Her first time in the pool.I think she shares my opinion.This was long after she'd dried off and warmed up. Still upset that we had subjected her to that type of torture.I feel your pain, girly. From now on Atalie and I will be spectators instead of participants. And I just found my new excuse for not getting in.

"I would, but someone has to stay with Atalie."

It's all fun and games until...

2009-07-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

I've been having Charis help me with daily chores around the house. So this particular day she unloaded and sorted the silverware from the dishwasher and helped me mop the floor. She loved the soapy water and sponge. My little Cinderella, mopping happily. Then she decided to do a happy dance on the slippery floor. As you've seen from earlier posts, we are still working on using our hands to brace our falls, instead of our face. It wasn't pretty.

Memo to me---next time, grippy socks and a few ground rules. The first one being "Happy dances belong on carpeted floors."

Otto-tott-O

2009-07-06T01:00:00.000-07:00

Atalie's first tastes of solid food went well. We started with avocado (or as Charis calls it, Otto-tott-o). Safe to say it was a success!

She's a bit worried she may not get any more avocado. She's very malnourished, as you can see.

Painting the sidewalk (They can't all be creative titles)

2009-07-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

One thing I know for certain about Charis. Paint + mess + sun = fun. When I found a recipe for sidewalk paint, I knew we had to try it. So we chose our colors, mixed it up, and headed outside.

We painted a road for driving toy cars.

She's focused on her creation.

She painted almost the entire sidewalk.

We even left a message for Brian on the sidewalk, at her request.

Sidewalk painting was definitely a success. I got a few of the $1 brushes, a mini paint roller, and some foam brushes, as well as some cornstarch and food coloring. When we finished painting, we dumped the remaining paint on the sidewalk and splashed in it barefoot. The best part? Besides hearing gleeful shouts and giggling coming from my sweet little girl? It cleans up with water. Just water. Thank you, sidewalk paint recipe person, whoever you are.

Sidewalk paint: 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 cup of water, few drops of food coloring. Mix and paint!

Investing

2009-07-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

It's a soft whisper. A slow swell, similar to the ocean waves rolling onto the beach. More personal with each passing moment. So honest and revealing that I often feel moved to tears. Deeply convicting, yet without condemnation.

That is often how I hear His voice. Well, when I give Him a moment to speak. When I put me, myself, and my circumstances away for a second.

Sometimes I can feel Him getting ready to speak. Getting my heart ready and preparing me. He's kind, you know. Gentle. Days before I can tell He's trying to get through to me. I suppose I need a little while to get ready. I get unusually quiet, involved in my thoughts, and sensitive. Sometimes the sensitivity overwhelms me a little...small things hurt my feelings, everything seems personal. But perhaps my "wall" has to be torn down a little in order for me to hear Him clearly. I'm still learning how to be sensitive to Him and Him alone when He starts speaking. Not everything from Him takes so much time or is as difficult to hear. Mostly when I need to turn the volume down on life and agendas for a while. And that takes me some time.

This particular lesson? Investing. Whatever I invest myself in (my time, my money, my heart, my prayers, myself) will become dear to my heart. So if I want change in an area, I need to invest in it. Too often I complain or vent to Him about a certain situation or person and expect Him to do all the work and me to watch Him. Sure, He does that sometimes. But He deeply wants to involve me in what He's doing. For me to meet Him where He is and join Him. I want change in a certain area. Am I there when they need me? Do I pray? Did I really devote it to prayer? Not just pray, devote...to attach myself, to consecrate and set apart, pour myself into. How much time did I invest? How much of me do I invest?

It is hard to care for something you are not investing in. (Kendrick, 14)

So easily I spout my complaints. But I learned something deep, ugly, and selfish about myself. I need to stop investing outwardly for the recognition it gets. I need to start investing inwardly, with more prayer and alone time with Him, for the change it brings to me, the things it endears to my heart, and the closeness I get from just spending more time in His presence. It's amazing how you start to care deeply about something you spend time really honestly praying about and putting time into.

It's time to start investing.

A week of Firsts

2009-06-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

Atalie had her first experience this week in the exersaucer. Since she is a big fan of standing while you hold her fingers, I assumed she'd enjoy the exersaucer.

Flowers are so funny.

Trying to figure out what that crazy looking thing is.

I think it was a hit.

She has rug burn where?

2009-06-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

It was picture day in the Disharoon household. I am now a huge fan of Picture Innovations, the studio we decided to make an appearance on this particular day. I was taking the girls to get photos done: Atalie's first professional pictures, and Charis's 2 year photos. The photos turned out great. We managed to sneak a few smiles out of Charis and keep her still for a millisecond so the photographer could catch those quick grins. Atalie, mellow as usual, smiled took it all in. Charis's friend Ava showed up and the girls played for a few minutes while we waited for our pictures.

After receiving our pictures, sighing in relief that the chaos was over, we got ready to say goodbye to friends and head out the door. Charis chose that particular moment to run after her friend, trip on her shoe, and go skidding on her face along the carpet. What did she use to catch herself, to brace for the fall? Her face. Where were her hands? By her side. Having hands did her no good at this particular moment. She gets her coordination from her mother.

And as a good mother would, I ran to her and scooped her up. Then I hear my mother say, "Oh poor baby!" That quickly turned into "Ooh. You should get a picture of that."

So I did.

At the time the people in the studio probably thought Can you believe that? Her child is bleeding and she's taking her picture! What can I say? The paparazzi in me took over. Now we have a memory of her first (and hopefully last) facial wound for the scrapbooks.

The nice people at the studio gave her some ice. But the ice never made it to her nose.

Ah, memories.

5 months!

2009-06-25T05:25:00.000-07:00

Sweet little baby fingers...love 'em!

Time is just slipping by. Atalie is now 5 months old. Weighing in somewhere around 17.5-18 pounds and growing all the time. She loves to stand, enjoys being held, talks up a storm in the swing, and is generally just an easy-going baby. She even likes tummy time.

It also amazes me how fast and intense the bond between Charis and Atalie happened. It is not unusual for both of them to wake up at the same time, even though it is impossible for them to hear each other when they are in their rooms. When Charis cries, Atalie starts to cry. When Atalie cries, Charis gets worried and pats her leg, saying, "It's okay Attie-bean. Don't cry." Then she'll promptly run to her room, grab a stuffed animal and give it to Atalie. She's even shared her most prized possessions: the animals she sleeps with.

I love the look on Charis's face. She really delighted in sharing her friends with Atalie.

Charis shared and Atalie devoured. :) And she didn't even mind the drool.

Drainage

2009-06-23T01:00:00.000-07:00

Since our neighbor is the world's most fanatical power washer, we often time have an issue with water in our backyard. Seriously...our side of the fence is turning green because of how much he runs his sprinkler, power washes his house, deck, shed, dog, wife...

He is either outside power washing or cooking on the grill. Grilling out only slightly outnumbers the obscene number of times he washes his property.
So, Brian's mission this summer has been to improve drainage in our backyard. It's been a long project because of Brian's work schedule, but he's almost done! On one of the less humid days, all of us played outside while Brian worked in the yard.

This picture cracks me up. Just had to add it.

Laying on her blanket, staring at the trees. She loved being outside.

A little fun in the Cozy Coupe. I love the second picture because she looks like she's going so fast, but in reality she's not even moving.

Yes, this is the river that flows from our backyard when our neighbor, Captain Power Washer, decides to do his daily chores. Yay! It works! Good job, husband!

Charis is 2!

2009-06-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

Charis turned 2 this past weekend! I can't believe my baby is 2. She woke up Saturday morning to a house full of balloons, streamers, and a Happy Birthday banner. For breakfast, a Toaster Streudel with 2 candles! Then we went to Bean's (grandma's) house to decorate and get everything ready. The guests starting arriving at 4:30. It was chaotic with that many people, checking on both kids, refilling food, and trying to feed both kiddos. But it was fun! Here's some pics from the party!

Let's play a little game!

2009-06-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

Can you guess which picture is Atalie and which is Charis? Some are easy, but I think it's amazing how similar some are. I had to do black and white---otherwise it would be too easy!

1. Sunbathing:

2.Playtime!

3. Something mesmerizing about the faucet!

4. What is that thing on my chair?

5. First baths aren't so much fun.

6. First naps in the crib!

7. Snuggled up!

8. Enjoying the great outdoors (easy ones!)

Getting big!

2009-06-12T01:05:00.000-07:00

She's getting big! 4 1/2 months old now, super close to rolling over, loves tummy time, rolls on top of rolls, and wearing 6-9 month clothing but still wears Newborn size shoes. And even those fall off with little effort on her part. Sheesh. Where is the time going????

THAT'S MY NAME!

2009-06-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

I used to teach Kindergarten and I remember coming home with one of those seemingly cute educational songs stuck in my head. You know---Days of the Week sung to the Adam's Family theme song. Or something like "Today is Monday and it's a sunny day!" I've got loads of them.

So what do you do when a song is stuck in your head?

You sing it in its entirety.

This is not a quality Brian enjoys. I remember singing through a song and hearing him warn, "If I wake up in the middle of the night with that stuck in my head..." Teasingly, I'd sing a little louder and a lot longer.

So when I stopped teaching to stay at home, I thought I could breathe a sigh of relief. Brian, too. No singing those songs all day (at least for a while), so that means no songs stuck in my head. I mean, what 2 year old wants to know the 50 States Song in alphabetical order, sung to the tune of Turkey in the Straw?

That was before we realized that Charis would have a love for music. And a deep love for Bear in the Big Blue House. Which means lots of "Bear Cha-cha-cha," "Goodbye song," and "Happy Happy Birthday." She sings it when she gets up in the morning, she sings it during her playtime, and she wants us to sing it before bed.

You already know what I'm going to say.

Though I thought I'd gotten away from rolling over in the middle of the night and hearing cutesy songs in my head, alas....it wasn't to be.

Instead of rolling over and thinking, "Why am I awake? What's on the to-do list today?," I roll over and sing "What sounds like a couple of purple otters? Pip and Pop! Pip and Pop, that's their name!"

The best part? Brian hears songs in the middle of the night, too. And this time it's not my fault. Charis, unknowingly, has taken over the roll of "song-giver." And she sings it plenty loud and with more stamina and endurance that I could even hope to have.

That's okay. She'll only love Bear for a little while and she'll never be this small again. And I know that one day I'll look back and long for the days that she woke at 4 am singing her heart out.

Von Willebrand Factor

2009-06-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

We noticed that last month Major, our very large 4-year-old doberman, had a small button-like growth on his belly.

So we made an appointment for surgery and my dad removed it. (He's a veterinarian, in case you were worried.)

He had trouble clotting after the surgery, so in addition to finding out what the growth was, he also had him tested for something called the Von Willebrand Factor. Apparently it causes trouble when it comes to clotting...bad when you have surgery, like he did.

Major tested positive for Melenoma and for the Von Willebrand disease (or syndrome, or factor...whichever it is). He has a more severe case of the blood disorder. Apparently you should have somewhere between 80-160 factor, and his is 4. Fortunately, it is something that fluctuates, so isn't always so low. It just happened to be very low when he had the surgery.

The growth was taken off with clean margins, which is another good thing.

Charis was thrilled to see him, of course. Major was thrilled to be home, too. Doped up, but thrilled.

Not so thrilled to be kept in the kitchen.
This is him, trying to look regal with that lovely E-collar on.

Now I just have to keep him still...

Nights (and Days) in Rodanthe

2009-06-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

For Memorial weekend, we joined my parents and Jason and Kristan down in Rodanthe, NC. As soon as Brian got off work Saturday morning, we loaded up the munchkins and got on our way!

Once we reached Jockey's Ridge and Charis could see the sand, we heard "Going beach mommy! Going beach!" about once every 5 minutes. And it's still a good drive from Jockey's Ridge.

Needless to say, as soon as we got in the house and took care of Atalie's diaper explosion (Oh, how I love long car rides), we headed off to the sound.

The water is warmer and more shallow. You can also see the bottom better and don't have to worry about a current sweeping your 2 year old away.

She searched for shells to find and show off to Bean (grandma), dad, and her new BFF--- Uncle Jason.

And Uncle Jason pretended like every shell was the coolest thing he'd ever seen.

Here's another reason why Jason is the newest BFF.

The weather and then water was perfect. Charis rolled and splashed and had the best time.

In case you were doubting, more proof of fun.

When we finished at the sound, we came to the house to play in the pool. Atalie joined us for the festivities.

Yes, that is a 6'1" man in a tiny kiddy pool.

Everyone had a great time!

Too much fun, maybe.

Scary, isn't it?

When the girls went down for their nap, so did the boys.

That was Saturday. Before bed, Charis asked again to go to the beach. We made the mistake of saying, "Sure. In the morning."

I worried that since Charis was so tall she would have trouble sleeping in the tiny Pack-n-Play. I worried that she'd be uncomfortable. I worried that I'd hear cries from a newly claustrophobic toddler, frustrated that we'd stuffed her, her blanket, pillow, and 3 stuffed animals into this ridiculously small "cage" and expected her to sleep well and be happy about it.

My worries were misplaced.

Around 4:15 AM I am awakened by Atalie stirring. Ok, grunting. I go to peek at her, sighing in relief when I find that she's still sleeping. As I walk by Charis's room, I hear quiet talking, "Hi pink bear. *giggle* No, no. Hi." More giggling.

For an hour this went on. Since it was quiet, I let her play. She will do this at the house on occasion and always goes back to sleep without incident.

But I forgot one important detail. There are no blackout shades on her windows and it starts to get light outside around 5 AM.

No! Nononononono! Please let it stay dark in there. Please let her go back
to sleep. Please do not let the sun rise on time today. Pleasepleaseplease!

So I lay there an contemplate. And she plays with her bear. Around 6 AM, she starts getting louder. And singing.

"A moooooon, a bear, a biiiigg blue hooouuse!" Then happy squeals. So I decide it may be a better idea to get her up before her lovely serenade wakes the entire house. We sneak upstairs, she sits on the couch, and I make coffee.

Dark, strong, full-strength coffee.

So the rest of the house wasn't disturbed by the pitter-patter of little footsteps (ok, let's be real...the pounding of excited footsteps from a toddler that desperately wanted to go to the beach), Charis stayed on the couch and played with her stuffed animals. She stayed on that couch for over an hour and a
half until the family started trickling up the stairs.

Since she'd been up since 4:15, I knew she'd never make it until naptime. Sure enough, come ten o'clock, she crashed. She got cross-eyed, wobbly-legged, and cried out in a frantic voice, "See daddy!" When she found his large embrace, she slid into la-la land. (I will point out that she did not say "See mommy!" Um, hello?)

Brian enjoyed every second of this.

Once our little song-bird woke up, we headed down to the beach.

The water was freezing! Mom got as far as one toe in the water, I believe.

But like her uncle Jason, she enjoys any temperature water. So Charis, Brian, Paw Paw, and Tip Top (the pink giraffe) enjoyed the *refreshing* water.

What fun is the ocean if you aren't turning blue, right?

I headed back a little early with Atalie.

Note to self:

Heat + black sunshade + fat baby= high levels of discomfort.

At lunchtime, Uncle Jason sealed his fate as BFF with Charis by making strange noises that only he could do.

Notice we all tried to make the noise, but only Uncle Jason got the laugh.

After 2 beautiful days and relaxing nights in Rodanthe, we headed home on Sunday evening. Minus a few minutes singing Bear in the Big Blue House, we heard one thing from Charis the entire ride home. "Uncle Jasee coming birthday party, mommy?" Followed by, "Yes, Uncle Jason is coming to your birthday party."

And....

"Uncle Jasee coming birthday party, mommy?" (Repeat 20 or 30 times). Eventually my answer became, "Yes, (please please please) he's coming to your party."

So, Memorial weekend was May 23-25th, right? On JUNE 3rd we came inside to eat lunch. And wouldn't you know it...

Later that day I did say to her, hoping for some excitement (even feigned excitement would have been acceptable) "Mommy is coming to your birthday party!" To which she looked deep in thought, as if contemplating if this was good enough.

She replied, "MayMay (Major, the dog) coming birthday party, mommy?"

"No," I said, "Major has a boo boo and can't come." (Besides the fact that he is an overly hyper 104 pound doberman.)

To which she replied...

You've got to be kidding me!!!

All in all, I guess you could say that it was a very memorable weekend.

A day in the life...

2009-05-30T01:00:00.000-07:00

Anyone that knows me knows I love routine. I try not to get too rigid, but I've found that Charis definitely focuses better, has a happier disposition, has less behavior issues, and sleeps better when we stick to our basic routine. During the day we have certain activities that happen around the same time. It's made life a lot more simple when balancing nursing and a new baby, being a good wife and friend, chores, and a busy almost-2 year old. You know, life. :)

Charis gets up each morning around 7:30. That gives me time to feed Atalie and get her situated before I get started with Charis. If she wakes before 7:30, she plays in her crib until I come and get her. We then start the day with milk and pack-n-play time. She plays with a few toys and reads some books for about an hour. If pack-n-play time is skipped in the morning, she usually asks for it later in the day. This gives me time to get myself together, drink some coffee, and get a few things done around the house. She's getting a bit big for the pack-n-play, but she seems to like it!

Later in the day we have "table time." Sometimes we do a craft, sometimes she paints or colors. Before breakfast she has a few minutes of table time. Here she was listening to Down By the Cool of the Pool, a listening center book and tape I had from my teaching days. She got a kick out of the frog's voice.

Naptime is at 1:00. She gathers her friends Bunny, and Pink, and it's off to la-la land!

Then there is always free play. Today she chose to play with her Cozy Coupe ball pit. She had so much fun.

I can't remember the last time I just sprawled out on the floor, laughing my head off like she did here.

She also has blanket play. No pics of that yet, but that's when I put a blanket on the floor and some special toys and she plays on the blanket while I'm getting something done, but still need her in sight (like cooking dinner). Sometimes I'll give her some water, beans, and other goodies to "cook" while I'm cooking. It's so nice to have an energetic toddler in your line of sight when you are in the middle of dinner, the phone is ringing, there's a new baby needing to be fed, and a family that is getting hungry. It's hilarious to see her do her "happy dance" when I pull the blanket out. It's like she knows the fun is coming! She gets to play and mommy gets to stay sane.

Momentarily.

Attie-bean

2009-05-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

Yes...that is my underwear (AKA the "hat" Charis put on Atalie).

Atalie is one happy little chick-a-dee. She has recently found her voice. She loves to sit in her bouncy seat; it's not uncommon to see her chatting away with the dangling sheep on the toy bar. She happy-squeaks when you swaddle her---she knows nap time (her favorite time) is coming! I've walked into her room on a number of occasions to find her awake from her nap, just smiling at the wall, crib, and anything she can find to look at.

She loves to multi-task, too. It's very normal for her to poop and eat at the same time. Which means that I get to enjoy the fruit of her labor. All over my clothes. If only I could go one day without getting pooped on! You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. She somehow manages to get very little in her diaper and most of it, well...everywhere else. I've even had to scrub walls.

She makes all kinds of crazy faces. She sleeps double the amount that Charis did at her age, though she slept through the night later than Charis (12 weeks for Atalie, 7 for Charis). I notice, too, that she really smiles with her eyes a lot. It's almost like she's amused with what is going on around her. Though with the chaos of having me for a mom, Charis in her face saying "A-dee-dee!!!" and Major, our 100 lb. doberman pacing back and forth, who can blame her?

She turned 4 months old Sunday. Now weighing in at 16 pounds 2 oz (90%ile) and 25 inches long (75th%).

Winning the Battle, but losing the war?

2009-05-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

Charis has quite the head of hair. She was born with a mohawk. A black mohawk. (This is Charis and Ava when Charis was just a week old.)

Her hair seems to be a combination of everyone in our family. :) Literally. It's fine like Brian's, curly like my mom's, easy to manipulate like mine, and the color of, well, her own.

The top continued to grow and the bottom continued balding. She had a nice bald spot for a long time. This is Charis, her long comb-over blowing in the wind.

The Mohawk continued to grow and the sides continued to...not grow.

Finally, we were able to put a bow in. Yay! Girly hair-do!

We went from headbands....

To sprouts....

To pig-tails! Cute right? But that's when the "lion hair" (as we call it) began to take form. It came suddenly. We didn't even see it sneaking up, slowly stalking, ready to take over when we least expected it. It came with a vengeance.

I'm thankful she never noticed the raging battleground on her head. She was a happy in her ignorance.

Or was she?

So the battles raged on. Some days we won.

Some days we lost.

(We even tried containing it, using all the latest techniques and calling in reinforcements.) No, it would not be contained.

And some days, hair was the least of our worries.

To this day the war continues.

Small gains have been made, new skills have been learned that have helped make the terrain more manageable, and experts are being consulted. We are doing all we can to make sure that younger generations learn from our experiences and are better equipped to handle such obstacles.

Twilight

2009-05-21T01:00:00.000-07:00

I recently watched the movie Twilight with my husband. I have to admit that the books and movie make me giddy. Not just happy... giddy. I feel all giggly and get butterflies. After talking about the movie and books with a friend it hit me why I feel that way...

It reminds me of that first-love feeling. I get that way when I watched The Notebook, Pride and Prejudice, and any number of drama-filled love stories. Oddly enough I don't usually see a movie preview for a romance and think, "I gotta see that!" But after reading the Twilight series, I definitely wanted to see the movie.

So all the giddy, lovey-dovey-ness got me thinking. And thinking. I found myself thinking about the movie while watching TV, reading, fixing dinner, etc. And the parts that kept running through my head were the sweet yet passionate scenes where Bella and Edward are proclaiming their love for one another.

It reminded me of something I read in Captivating by John and Stacy Eldredge. " [E]very woman in her heart of hearts longs...to be romanced" (8). So true!

I think I love those movies because of the romance and it reminds me of a time when I first met Brian and he was all I could think about. Not that I don't think about him often, because I do. I've been learning a lot lately about what it really means to love someone. And though it's not always butterflies and passion, why not want that in your marriage? I'm learning that it can be that way. And sometimes, it's not about the other person. It's about me. I choose what I think about. I choose where I allow my thoughts to go. I choose to dwell on something frustrating or to dwell on something uplifting. So can I choose to swoon over my husband? Yes! I love Brian but sometimes I need to swoon too.

For me, I have to make it a mental priority. Almost to a point where it goes on my "to-do" list.

Change a diaper (check!)
Think about Brian (check!)
What's for dinner? (check!)
Laundry (check!)

And so on. I get so busy. Busy with kids, busy with life, and busy with me. That's right. I said it. I think about what I want way too much. And marriage is important to me. Brian is the love of my life. He's what I've been waiting for since I was a little girl. So it's time I start acting that way, right?

I do long to be romanced. But sometimes I need to put aside my "need-to" list and work on the "want to" list. I want to spend time with my husband. I want to have a butterfly-tummy, giggly school girl crush on him. And I want him to know that I still get all warm and fuzzy when I think about him. He's amazing.

"Love is a decision and not just a feeling. It is selfless, sacrificial, and transformational...God uses marriage to help us eliminate loneliness, multiply our effectiveness, establish families, raise children, enjoy life, and bless us with relational intimacy. But beyond this, marriage also shows us our need to grow and deal with our own issues of self-centeredness through the help of a lifelong partner" (The Love Dare).

I know it won't always be silliness and warm fuzzies, but I think God gets a kick out of seeing couples that still get them.

The cuter side of cellulite!

2009-05-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

To quote the girls' pediatrician, "Atalie is not gaining weight at the normal rate. She is gaining weight at a rapid rate." Or how about, "I think you were meant to have twins." Hmmm....chunky babies? Atalie is in the 90th % and Charis was in the 97th %ile for weight for a loooong time.

Exhibit A: Atalie's legs. Not too chunk-o-rific. But getting there!

Exhibit B: Atalie's chin. Well, her 2 chins. As I like to call it, her "dubba-dubba."

Exhibit C: Charis at 4 months. Reminds me a bit of a Shar Pei, I think.

Exhibit D: One of my favs of Charis. She's sitting in a bumbo seat. Yes, a bumbo seat that neither of my girls could sit in longer than 60 seconds. That was due to the leg chunks getting stuck and causing loss of circulation.
Lovely.

Ah...my little Sumo. And Exhibit E.

Lastly, examine the bulging biceps and rippling pectorals.

I just love me some chunky babies!!!

Atalie's 4 month visit is next week so we'll see if the flubiness continues.

C'mon in!

2009-05-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

We went to eat dinner at Bean and Paw Paw's house (Raegan's parents) with Jason and Kristan. Atalie slept while Jason and Charis played in the pool.

Jason jumped in the pool to entice Charis to swim. All night she said, "Untee Jashee dumpee in poo." No, no...she's not being vulgar. That's Charis-talk for "Uncle Jason jumping in pool."

It didn't take much convincing for Charis to get in the freezing water (ok, 79 is freezing to me). She then proceeded to try to convince Keekee (Kristan) to join her. Unfortunately for her, no one else was ready to brave the water.

It's a good thing we have Jason around. He doesn't mind the cold water at all. As a matter of fact, he's been known to go swimming at the most unusual times. Like, say, during Hurricane Isabel. Or in December during the Christmas party.

I'm so glad warmer weather is here!