Simple Moments

"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Nate the Great had music practice for a performance. We, his ever-adoring fan club, decided to tag along. I thought it would be great fun to have a picnic with the kiddos on the church lawn. Before we left, I had prepared our meals and packed them in our cooler.

Our picnic spot was perfect and the weather was beautiful. We had a peaceful meal together...just the three of us. This can be an amazing feat because by the end of the day, we are all a little on edge for various reasons. I am usually ready to hand off the parenting baton to Nate the Great as he walks through the door. The Pip can be touch and go depending on how quiet time went. Little Mister is ready to eat, so look out!

After dinner, The Pip went off to explore. She concentrated on finding bugs on the flood lights that illuminated the cross. The Pip stared at the big white cross for a while and then said very seriously, "That is the cross that Jesus died on."

When the kids had played their hearts out, we went inside the church and The Pip reunited with her friends to watch a movie while daddy finished up.

The Pip, photographer extraordinaire

To the left, the original cross (partial view), according to The Pip

The Three Amigos

Our view

Girl time

June 24, 2010

Children's literature is a passion of mine. I can't get enough of it. Those that know me well would not be surprised to hear that I have all of my books organized by theme into containers. Theme containers found a home in The Pip's room, a new one each month, so that she could explore, take a "picture walk" through a story independently or listen to stories while we read to her.

The time had come when we decided to introduce her to the library. She was very ready.

She got her own library card. The rows and rows of books thrilled her. There was excitement in that little body as she chose a stack of books. She sat at a table and poured over the pages. She was so content. I think she could have stayed for hours.

Little Mister clearly was not quite ready for library time. Oh, he was very curious too. Books were flying off the shelves he could reach and Nate the Great had become the cleanup crew of one behind the little demolisher. He would grab a book with his chubby fingers, glance at it and throw it over his shoulder with squeals of joy.

He has since been left at home with Nate the Great while The Pip and I make a date out of our library visits.

In the end, our first library visit was a success. The Pip had the time of her life exploring. She was so proud of herself for using her library card for the very first time and carrying her bag of books out the door.

Attempting to get a good first library picture :)

Bliss

Reading with Mommy but would much rather be on the go

So proud of herself

June 3, 2010

Reminder

The past few days have kept us hopping. Days where a lot has been accomplished but yet there is still so much to do.

I am buried in the process of making lists so this weary mind of mine won't forget. As I quickly scribbled my ideas down, I could hear the sweet voice of The Pip singing a familiar song from the bathtub in the midst of play.

These are the words coming from the mouth of one precious 4 year old:

What a mighty God we serve
what a mighty god we serve
Angels bow before Him
Heaven and earth adore Him
What a mighty God we serve.

I stopped to pause and listen. I smiled as I heard how she put an emphasis on "dore" in adore. I laughed as I heard her immediately play talk about a rocket ship taking off right after she finished singing. I love how natural it is for her to incorporate God into everything she does in such a simple way. How good it is to be reminded not to lose sight of what is important in the midst of my organized chaos.

Caught!

The Pip has been obsessed with dog leashes lately. She will take Vader's leash and attach it to just about anything and pull that object around. Of course, the perfect situation would be to have a real dog at the end of the leash.

Wait a minute. We have a real dog. A 96lb. dog who seems game to play. But first, this two year old full-of-energy dog needs to be captured.

The stars aligned and it happened. The Pip was in heaven! As for that dog, well, I will let you decide...

Conversations with The Pip

On Sunday night, while cuddling before bed, Nate the Great and I had a conversation with The Pip about Sunday school and church.

I was curious to see how well she could recall something that had happened earlier in the day. So I asked her what Bible story she learned. She replied, "The guy and his bad brothers. The bad brothers threw the guy into the well." It took a moment to realize she was talking about Joseph.

I asked her if she could tell me her friends' names at church. She said, "I didn't ask my friends' names because we were singing and listening to the story. We aren't supposed to talk or we will get in trouble with our teacher."

I am sure her Sunday school teachers would be so happy to hear what she learned. Haha!

1 Month and a Few Days Late

Little Mister had his 15 month check up...in June.

He surprised us with fits of crying and screaming the moment we arrived at the peds. office. It was a surprise because up until now he loved going. He always "hammed it up" and ate up every little bit of attention from the nurses and Miss Melinda, our fantastic nurse practitioner.

However, at this particular visit, everything set him off...rolling in the stroller to the cheerful exam room, watching a familiar nurse come into the room, weighing and measuring on the scale, being examined by Miss Melinda (whom he loves), the shots (of course), leaving the office, etc...

When it was time for the little guy to get his shots, big sister asked to leave the room. Nate the Great stayed and sent me out with The Pip. I tend to go mushy during these moments and become incredibly empathetic, which as Nate the Great says, produces "bad energy."

*Short Story from the Past*
Once, when it was time for both kiddos to get their shots, we again sat in the exam room waiting. Miss Melinda walked in and immediately the oh-so-most-generous Pip said, "He can go first." It is true, that in this one time as brother and sister, The Pip let her brother go first.

So very unhappy

Shredding the paper on the exam table helps to pass the time

Breaking out the animal crackers

The Pip, happy that the appointment is not for her

I have been told by many people that Little Mister is a big boy or "solid" which is a polite way of stating that he is above average. Don't worry. It makes me laugh. I believe it is his head, an inherited family gene, that throws them all off. If you don't believe me, just look at the stats.

15 Month Stats

Weight: 24lbs. 13oz.
50th percentile

Height: 30 3/4"
35th percentile

Head Circumference: 49cm
90th percentile :)
(More for me to smooch)

The story continues and I wish I could say it had a happy ending...

After the appointment, we took him to the diagnostic office for a blood test in the main floor of the same building. Since our home was built before the 70's, we needed to have his blood tested for lead.

Any little shred of hope for pulling it together went swiftly down the drain. Nate the Great took Little Mister back while The Pip and I hung out together in the waiting room. Either the nurse did not have the experience to do the job or she was having an off day. Whatever the reason, she was not able to draw the blood. She was in his arm for about a minute wiggling the needle around. When that attempt failed, she went after his heel for yet another failed attempt. Finally, accepting her defeat, she got another nurse who managed to take blood from his toe. Meanwhile, Little Mister was screaming in a huge meltdown to which the nurse replied, "The crying helps the blood flow." Really? That is the best she could come up with? Needless to say, we will not be going back to that office.

The sad little toe

Useless Information

For those that think my love of mowing is nuts.......today, you just might be right.

Perhaps my timing was a little off today, choosing to mow at 4 p.m. during the blazing heat of the day. Nate the Great and The Pip were off running errands. Little Mister was blissfully napping. All was quiet. What better thing to do with my short-lived freedom than mow? This is where the nuts factor might come into play.

AccuWeather claims the temperature was 91 degrees with a RealFeel of 100 degrees at the time I was cutting our blades of grass. I could barely get through the last patch without feeling like I was losing touch with reality. The joy in my heart slipping away, I plowed through and finished, walking straight to the hose to cool down. I am sure I looked a fright as I greedily watered down. The heat was rising off my body, my face so beet-red I thought I might explode, wobbly legs and arms shaking and limp hairs flying loose out of my ponytail. Baby, it's hot outside!

Just for a moment today, my thrill wavered...but only for a moment. It was worth it. I am woman. Hear me roar.

From the Mouth of The Pip...Sensitive Material

Picture from November 2008

While we were watching a show on TV tonight, The Pip disappeared for a potty break. Pretty soon we heard her yell, "I need help wiiiiiiiiiiiping."

Daddy answered the call and this is what he was told as he assisted The Pip.

Daddy asked, "Did you have a big poopy?"

The Pip said, "I have two poopies. One is shaped like a turtle and one is shaped like train tracks."

She is The Pip. What else can I say?

Oh yes. I will most certainly be using this against her someday...but first I must stop laughing.

An Oldie but a Goodie

Our family discovered a little treasure. We love Monkey Joe's! When we are in St. Louis, we visit at least once. It is a must for The Pip. I have blogged about it before but feel the need to blog about it again since we have a new fan in the club...Little Mister! In previous visits, he rode around in the stroller or hung out in our arms. Not anymore! He is determined to do as much as his big sister. It was great fun observing him explore and watching the priceless expressions on his face.

Now, who will bring Monkey Joe's to our town?