Wrapping Up Winter

Spring is here, but really most of Winter was a bit Spring-ish this year!


I bought the kids sleds because my parents have a cute little hill in their backyard that is perfect for tot sledding, but the snow never really came. We got a dusting twice and one of the times we busted out the sleds and slid a few times until the grass came through. Weston kept asking, "When is the big snow going to come?" The answer? Hopefully next year!


We had our annual Valentine's Day picnic and used firelight instead of candlelight this year. Chick Fil-A was the menu...


We did a lot of crafting...

And in the end, we were still ready for Spring...


Have a birds chirping, wind through your hair, sun on your skin kind of day!

Sneaking In

I have lunch to clean up and three loads of laundry to fold and put away, but I had to stop in here to record two of my favorite things Lily is saying lately...

"Wight Deo"- right there, used frequently to describe the location of ANYTHING

"Chepkup"-ketchup, I can't handle how cute it is...I will NEVER correct her.

Grateful for...

#87 The smell of blooming trees and flowers

#88 The stark honesty of children

Desperate Mom Meets Stubborn Child

My son and I had the following conversation 5 minutes ago. I am not proud of it, but my patience and nonchalant attitude about cleaning an almost four year old bottom is wearing thin...

Scene: Me walking into his bedroom as he is changing from his underwear into a pull-up to poop.

Me: Weston, why don't we just TRY to do it on the potty.

W: I don't want to.

(I dislike bribing, but in the case of potty training the same child for two years, I cut right to the chase in a moment of weakness)

Me: I will give you a really yummy treat if you poop in the potty just once. (I know if he just does it once, we are well on our way to this not being a big deal)

W: What kind of treat?

Me: We can go to the store and get a special one. C'mon, let's just sit and try and then you can always put your pull-up on and go.

W: (inching toward the bathroom) What kind of treat at the store?

Me: How about a cupcake?

W: (struggling, but thinking) Nah, I don't want to

Me: Weston, I will get you a cupcake the size of your face. A chocolate one. Let's just try.

W: (now scrunching his face and squeezing his little butt cheeks together) No.

Me: It will have LOTS of frosting.

W: Maybe next time.

Me: What about those animal pillows at the grocery store you've been wanting? We can get one of those too!

W: (struggling because he really needs to poop now and he REALLY loves those pillows at the Schnucks pharmacy) I don't want to!

Me: (defeated) Okay, go put on your pull-up.

W: Maybe next time Mom

Coming out of his room...

W: Mom, I know! We'll just get one of those animal pillows for Christmas!

Me: Weston, Christmas is 10 months away, you could have a pillow much faster if you would just poop in the potty.

W: No, that's okay, I'll just wait 'til Christmas.

Great. Mind you there is STILL a large bull collecting dust on top of our hutch that he will probably outgrow before we get it down. I'm pretty sure high schoolers exceed the weight limit. I know, I know..."He'll get there. Every kid does it in his own time. They don't go to Kindergarten in diapers. He'll do it when he's ready." I think these statements will be more encouraging when I have one successful potty training experience under my belt. And with a kid who is willing to wait 300 days for a toy, we may have a while!

Pajama Pancake Party

Miss Pajama Pancake VIP...


Pretty table by Noni...


Cupcakes at 10 a.m.? Why not?!


On the brink of ballistic that I broke her cupcake in half...

Two...


Pancake production in progress...


"What? It's not my birthday?"...

This girl loves a cell phone...


Lulu's Two. The End.

Two Years Down For Lily Louise

Lily, Lily, Lily. When I think of you, here at the age of two, I find that there aren't words and sentences that can really describe you. You are just this unique ball of a variety of awesomeness that rolls very quickly. Here are some phrases that others have said about you just in the past two weeks...you do tend to leave an impression with people.

"What a character!"
"She is something else!"
"What a happy girl!"
"She is so fun!"
"She's a trip!"
"Lily clawed ______'s face today."
"She is FUNNY!"
"She was all over the place"
"What an active girl"
"She really holds her own"

No one can make me laugh and drive me absolutely nuts at the same time like you, my sweet child. You are crazy, fearless, relentless, nonstop and sweet, gentle-ish, snuggly, hilarious, so scary smart. Only you could get an 8 inch knife out of a drawer with no help and no stool in a matter of 12 seconds and throw it down a flight of stairs without sending yourself or loved ones to the ER. You're amazing. And I'm pretty sure that the Lord has an entire BRIGADE of angels watching over you.

You are still in the third percentile for size, but you can run so fast with arms pumping and you've even learned to gallop and do somersaults in the last 6 months. You love to climb and stools are now locked up. I love watching you problem solve...which 90% of the time results in an intervention, but you definitely adhere to "where there's a will, there's a way".

As usual, I get a tad weepy when birthdays come. Where does the time go? I grasp for it, trying to catch it, slow it. And here you are two...



You've been quite the Momma lately, so we gave you a new baby with a paci, a stroller and a diaper bag to accompany. You took right to it...


Getting a lesson in stroller safety...



We all went to Red Robin where you enjoyed a corn dog the size of your face...



And apple juice full strength...


And, of course, some singing and ice cream sundae...



Your brother didn't mind tagging along one bit and was a really great sport about you being the birthday girl...



Happy Birthday spunky, sassy girl! We're so proud of you!

And I Quote...Lily Edition

Little Miss is beginning to have a few things to say. It's funny to see how her first language kind of reflects her sassy personality. Here are some of her favorite phrases as of late...

"Stop it"

"Have it"

"No. No. No. No. No. Nooo." (Said with her tiny index finger out and repositioning that finger with each "no")

"Uhhhh...No tank you"

"Cheat pease" = treat please

"Where ____ doe?" = Where did _____ go?

"Iowno" = I don't know

"Toming Mama" = Coming Mama (sometimes I call for her just so I can hear her say it)

"One? One? Two?" = pleading for a vitamin or treat. She knows she can only have one, but at least gives two a shot

"Toffee, otay?" = Coffee, okay? Patting us on the face and trying to get us out of bed since requesting her own breakfast doesn't provide fast enough results

"Shhhh...______ seeping." = shushing us if someone is sleeping

"No like it"

"Cuuuuuuth" = becauuuuuse, when asked why she was in time-out

"No Weton" = No Weston

She has a little lisp and I must say it's pretty cute. Yeth, it is.

Stay tuned. This crazy girl turns two tomorrow and pictures WILL be taken. But for now, I'm going to bed because she's already been up three times and I'm pretty sure sleep will be minimal this evening :)

A Year of Intention

My "New Years' post" last year was all about having some relaxed goals for 2011. Here they are with the end of year summary of how it went in red.

• Wear an apron at least once a day. (I have added some great aprons to my collection and next I would like a half apron with pockets that I can wear around the house. Not wearing an apron EVERY day though)
  
• Eat 9 fruits and vegetables...make that 5 because week one of that has not gone so well. (I get close to 5...depends on if there are homemade treats in the house...)
  
• Consume even more butter than last year. (Lots of butter consumption 'round here. Success)
  
• Listen to more music throughout the day. (This is getting better. It's especially good for the morning to soothe children whilst I do some morning chores. And winter absolutely calls for dance parties that result in children just running in circles)
  
• Get up before the babies again. I'm having a little bit of a hard time beating Lily who currently likes to start her day at 4:15 a.m. (I've gone in and out of adhering to this, but I would say I consistently get up at least 10 minutes before them...enough to gulp down a cup of coffee and a treat. I try to squeeze some reading and a shower in if I haven't hit snooze 5 times. Lily STILL gets up early. Way. Too. Early.)
  
• Work up to running 20 miles a week. This will only be accomplished with my tried and true running partner(and sweet friend) Katie who's been spurring me on since 2004. Love you girl. Let's do it. (Two words: Yeah. Right. Although Katie and I have been meeting at the YMCA Monday mornings at the crack of dawn, the conversation usually goes like something like this,"Have you done any exercising since last Monday? No, you? Nope." But I think we're both okay with it)
  
• Taste and see that the Lord is good. (It's amazing in just 365 days the seasons your soul travels through, but in the end, God is still and forever good)
  
• Grow my hair out and donate it. (Whoops, cut my hair the shortest it's ever been instead)

So as you can see, even with some very "relaxed" resolutions, I still came out at best 3 for 8.

This year, no more resolutions, just a mindset. I love how this great lady has a theme for each year. I think it's wise. And, for me, this year I want to be intentional. This touches all the spheres of my life, big and small. Intentional with time management, intentional with my kids, intentional with my marriage, intentional with cooking good meals, intentional with growing in my faith, intentional resting, intentional with my spending...you get the point. Colossians 3:17 says, "Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus." It's a consciousness of what you're doing and what you're saying. It is not hasty. Being intentional requires thought and preparation. But it does NOT require perfection and everything going the way you planned. There's a tension there...and I like it.

And in case you thought I haven't been doing my list of gratitude because I had forgotten or been grumpy (in which you would be correct) here is the latest:

#83 Being challenged

#84 Lily, all sassy in a new haircut, wearing a sweater and jeans like a big girl and saying "otay" and "no tank you"

#85 A husband who is not hasty like me

#86 Food on the table and warm, cozy bed at the end of the day

Happy New Year all!