Bathtub Tribute

Aww...  I luv uoo too little boy.

Flying Books

If you haven't yet seen The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, then you are in for a treat. This adorable short is similar to Up stylistically, and the score puts Pop Goes the Weasel in an entirely new genre ... you just have to see it for yourself.

Run time is about 15 min. so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy

Hmm... The old link isn't working anymore. Try this one instead:

My kids all grabbed their journals immediately after watching this show and spent the next 30 minutes happily scribbling away. They even broke out the fountain pens so that they could write just like the character in the book.

Beautiful!

Psst...

We are wearing the same dress! *wild gales of 2yo giggles*

Towel Fashion

Dear daughter,

When I asked you to help your little sister find something to wear, I didn't realize that you would take me seriously. I expected that you would find something in her closet to dress her in. I did not mean for you to have to create your own clothing out of dishtowels and office supplies.

I will attempt to be more precise in my requests from now on.

That being said, she seems to be comfortable in her new outfit. Nice job kid!

Your loving mom,

5,4,3...

Nothing beats a good box.How else would you get to the moon?

Now that we have this nice giant box (courtesy of the dishwasher delivery men), we may just need to have another party devoted to the greatest invention EVER.

2, 1, Lift Off!!!

Jesus Loves Me

Sometimes the simplest things are my favorite. "Jesus Loves Me" is a great example. It is my all time favorite song.

"Jesus Loves Me" was written as part of a story for children many years ago. It told of a young boy so sick that his doctors could do nothing more to heal him. His teacher, knowing the boy's fate, sings to the child of God's love and heaven's splendor. Simple words with a massive impact.

This song reminds me of VBS and choir when I was a kid. It is the song I sang to myself while in labor for my son (yeah, I sing silently when I'm in pain - weird, I know). It is what I hummed to my babies night after night as I rocked them to sleep. It is the song that my little ones all sang in their tiny 2 year old voices. Is there anything cuter than a sleepy "dis I knowwwww!" coming through the baby monitor?

I guess I have passed on my love for "Jesus Loves Me" to my daughter. When I asked her to write about her favorite song, this is the paper she handed me:
That was the moment that I knew I could believe her passionate request to be baptized. She seemed so young, and her brother even younger, but on their own they had each approached our pastor after church and asked to be baptized. It took me a while to become convinced. We studied together, prayed together, and well...

Wow! I now have two new reasons to love those familiar words.

A photo to make Grandpa smile

Nice Shoes

Every girl knows that a great pair of RED pumps makes the world a happier place.

You've just got to practice walking in them.

Pretty Hair

I love complicated hairstyles. I always have. Wasting an hour curling, braiding, pinning or finding ways to otherwise "fancify" hair is one of the advantages of being a girl.

I remember the day I learned to french braid. I was in the back of a friend's van (without seat belts or even proper chairs now that I think about it - sheesh I had forgotten that) and we were amusing ourselves on the long drive to her house. I had always loved her beautifully braided hair and I wanted her to do mine, but she could only braid on her own head - it turned out upside down when she tried to do my hair. So instead, I spent the next 2 hours watching her braid her own hair over and over again and attempting to do the same. I think it took me those entire two hours, but eventually I got it, and I never looked back.

Everyday hair is fairly simple in our house; a ponytail or just a basic brush through are the norm, but holidays are something very different. Holidays are special. All of those parties, events, and get-togethers just scream out for something different.

Now that I have two little girls (and have cut my own hair to above my shoulders), I have fewer opportunities to do my own hair, but I have added the fun of doing their hair instead. Even the baby gets fancy hair,

but I have learned to take her hair-twirling habit into consideration. This look had to be altered immediately after I took this photo because she wanted needed more hair to play with.

The girls seem to have picked up my hair fascination. The little one begs for her hair to be combed and thinks that the word "pretty" refers only to hair. If you say "Oh, you look pretty today," to her, you will immediately see her tiny hand fly up to touch her hair ribbon and her little head nod up and down agreeing with you that yes, in fact, her ribbons are pretty.

My oldest is in the more-is-better stage of hair design which, I have to say, is one of the CLASSIC growing up stages for little girls. I remember entertaining my sisters and torturing my father with excess hair ribbons. If you know my dad, you know just how not-him it is to have hair ribbons being clipped in his hair by giggly girls. He endured us with style.

(The kids were getting ready to put on a play

and decided that baby needed a princess costume.

This look, to little girls, screams princess...)

With all of this attention to hair bathroom space is going to be very valuable when my girls get to be teens. Maybe I should begin warning my son now. That stage isn't going to be pretty at all.

spew-ta-tion-ous

My 5 year old came to me today with this bit of insight:

"I have a spewtationous problem.

Naps were made in

the 1960s. They could

never work today,

because the government . . . "

I lost it!!!

He said more, but I couldn't hear him over my own wild laughter. "Spewtationous" was enough to get me giggling, but blaming the government for his inability to nap???!!! And where did he get the idea that naps were a hippie thing?

Hilarious!

Paradise

Washing the truck in December.

It is 11 degrees outside, but nice and toasty inside.

Not everyone's idea of fun, but to my husband, THIS is paradise.

Canine Theology

A spelling lesson, bible study, and heart warming story all in one.  I love it!  Take a look:

PS - Aunt Claire, this one is especially for you.  XOXO

Shoes

"The one thing children wear out faster than shoes is parents."

John J. Plomp

Funny things kids say

The kids always keep me on my toes. Here are a few of the funniest lines I have heard over the past couple of weeks.

~ J. searching: "Mommy, I lost my gum. I think it is in the basement."

~ A. sheepishly - "Here are the scissors, I don't think they should be upstairs." (long pause) "I cut his hair, but only a little bit."

~ Grandpa G. to J. at a church meeting - "No, it isn't your turn to pull my hair yet, I need to finish praying."
          Okay, I know that this one isn't a kid quote but really . . . not his turn YET???  Is this something we do on a regular basis?

~ J. proudly carrying his mug to the dining room table - "I got toilet water!" When Daddy tried to tell him that this was a bad idea his reply was that it "Tastes nice and fresh!" 
          UGGH!   It certainly sounded as if he made this determination from personal experience.  

~ J. crying about a lost plastic turtle - "The tooth-fairy took it!  I know she did!  That's not nice!"

Each day is an adventure!

Interview With My Kids

I was goofing off with the kids yesterday and started asking them some questions and typing the answers.  Remember the phrase "Ask a silly question, get a silly answer?"  Well it's true, but with little kids, the silliness of the answer isn't always dependent on the question.  

Where do you live?

3yo - "I don't live anywhere" 

5yo - "I want to live on a farm, but I just live here."

What was the most fun thing you did this year? 

3yo - "I had chocolate money to eat"  

5yo - "Wrapping baby Jesus to put him ni-night"

I guess they are too young to really know what a year is yet - these are things we did this week.

What animal would you like to have as a pet?
3yo - "A big dinosaur"
5yo - "A horsey"

What is your favorite vegetable? 
3yo - "Blueberries" 

5yo - "Carrots"

What is your favorite holiday?
3yo - "The one with bunnies and jelly beans"  

5yo - "Christmas"

If you could change your name, what would you choose? 

3yo - "My name? I want to keep my name!" (nearly in tears)

5yo - "Pocahontas"

What do you love most about Daddy?

3yo - "Daddy play down the snow hills . . . FAST!" 

5yo - "Daddy lets us jump in his arms and twirls me around."

What do you love most about Mommy?

3yo - "Mommy dancing with me."

5yo - "Mommy makes things to eat."

What do you love most about your brother/sister?

3yo - "Play pretend"

5yo - "Play with him and sit beside him."

Where would you like to go on vacation this year? 

3yo - "To a rocket to the museum to see the dinosaurs"

5yo - "To Auntie Michelle's house, but we need to buy an airplane first."

What would you like to do?

3yo - "Go in a rocket."

5yo - "Get some little horses to play with Shadie."

I tried a few more "what is your favorite . . . (toy, game, book etc.)" questions, but I kept getting the same answers:

3yo - "racecar"

5yo - "indians"

I can't decide whether they REALLY love these things, or the novelty of our game wore off.  Either way, it was a fun way to see what is on their little minds.  

Photographic feet

 My three year old loves to use our camera.  (Thank goodness for digital photography!)  He clicks happily away enjoying acting like one of the adults and seeing instant results from his favorite task - button pushing.  It is sweet to watch him take himself so seriously as he experiments with the different settings and camera angles.   I'm sure he doesn't realize it, but he has taken on a funny personal project that keeps me curious as I wait to see how long he will stick with it.  This is his photographic study:  Each time he takes my camera he always spends at least a few minutes examining his feet, arranging them "just so," and then photographing them.  Here are a few of his masterpieces.  

Sometimes he will take pictures of other funny subjects too, but none with such passion as his own feet.  My favorite are:

• close-ups of his sister's nose
• the underside of chairs, tables etc.
• the backsides of people we don't know 
• car and truck wheels 
• other peoples feet

Then every once in a while there is a gem like this that appears - I would never think to take a photo of his shadow, but I am SO glad that he did.  

In his shadow you can't tell just how little he is.  That's the funny thing about shadows, they shorten and stretch, and remove all distinguishing characteristics.  It makes me wonder just what he will look like as he gets older. What will he enjoy doing?  Who will he become?

My Shadow

By Robert Lewis Stevenson

From Child's Garden of Verses

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,

And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;

And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow--

Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;

For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,

And he sometimes goes so little that there's none of him at all.

He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play,

And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.

He stays so close behind me, he's a coward you can see;

I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

One morning, very early, before the sun was up,

I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;

But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,

Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

Something to make you smile!

We have had a crazy day.

The antibiotics prescribed for my daughter's Lyme Disease caused a terrible allergic reaction, leaving her with large red welts covering her arms, legs and stomach. We have been given orders to keep her cool, still, and distracted so that she doesn't scratch too much. Not an easy request of an itchy 5 year old. In an effort to entertain her, I was scouring the web and found this funny video. Thought you would all get a kick out of it!



And we thought public transportation couldn't be fun!