Let's Get Caught Up, Shall We?

It has been a whirlwind bit of time in these past couple months, but I am back, so let's get caught up.

An unusually warm fall day in pictures...

The sweetness of friends

A friend of mine has a child with cystic fibrosis. Would you consider taking a moment to help them out?

This is an easy way for you to help children with CF. Please vote every day until the end of the month! CF is in 3rd place right now and the top TWO will receive the funding. We need your help!

Go to...

http://www.refresheverything.com/helpbabiesbreathe

and vote!

Conversations with The Pip

The Pip announced today that she doesn't go to church anymore.

Heathens, apparently we are. :)

What she meant to say is that she is no longer in the 3 year old department. She feels like a big girl in the Pre-K department.

Conversations with The Pip

We love this children's Bible.

The Pip and I were reading the story of creation at bedtime. When we finished, I prepped her for the story we would read the next night. It was the story of the serpent in the garden encouraging Eve to eat from the forbidden tree. We took a picture walk through the story and talked about the illustrations. The Pip is still a little confused. She kept saying, "She ate the poison apple." Hmmmm...somehow I don't remember Snow White spending time with Adam and Eve.

As we continued talking, The Pip stopped, pointed her finger at me and very seriously said, "If I was a police officer, I would give Satan a ticket." Look out. Satan's going to jail. The Pip is on the loose.

No pacifier? No worries.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

The Bob stroller can meet the need if you are creative.

Little Mister fell asleep and when we looked down to check on him, this is what we found. Clever little guy.

"Grief is not an enemy or a sign of weakness. It is a sign of being human. Grief is the cost of loving someone." ~http://www.griefshare.org

As I am quickly approaching the first year anniversary of my dad's death, I struggle because it is another mark of finality for me. I can no longer look back and say, "Last year at this time he was alive."

How does one prepare for that day? I find myself at a loss. I feel a little anxious.

Do I make it special or do I just plow through? Do I spend time thinking about it or do I keep my mind as busy as possible until it is over?

Grief is so hard to describe. Grief didn't cover me like a cloak of darkness but it has impacted me in small significant ways throughout the past year. It always caught me by surprise. It always took the wind out of me, quickened my pulse, caused my chest to tighten and tears to fall.

"Reminders aren't just tied to the calendar, though. They can be anywhere — in sights, sounds and smells, in the news or on television programs. And they can ambush you, suddenly flooding you with emotions when you drive by the restaurant your wife loved or when you hear a song your son liked so much. Another death, even that of a stranger, can leave you reliving your own grief.

Even years after a loss, you may continue to feel sadness and pain when you're confronted with such reminders. Although some people may tell you that grieving should last a year or less, grieve at your own pace — not on someone else's expected timeline."

~Mayo Clinic

I think I will choose to celebrate my dad and his life, savoring the memories, delighting in his existence on this earth and pondering the joys of heaven...tears of loss, tears of gladness...

Please keep us covered in prayer as we meet another milestone on August 27th.

Blessings

This weary mama was blessed again.

We were in Madison, WI over the weekend with Nate the Great's family. It was a full and busy few days. We dropped into our beds early Sunday night for some blissful and much needed sleep.

My little alarm clocks woke me up early Monday morning. Those precious darlings didn't seem to understand that their mama needed rest to restore not only her limp body but also her befuddled brain. Instead, those little treasures insisted that their mama rise and shine, change a diaper, play tickle games, prepare and serve breakfast and entertain them, giving no slack to the sleep deprived.

And so began my day. In the midst of my morning routine, my dear friend, Anne, called to see what I was up to. After explaining my state of existence, bless her, she decided to come over with one of my favorite Starbucks drinks...my beloved iced vanilla latte. Due to the error of the wonderful barista, I ended up with a venti latte instead of a grande. Maybe he could channel my desperation as he was making my drink.

I was blessed with the surprise of a fantastic friend, great conversation and all three of our kiddos played positively well together. Thank you, Anne, for restoring some of my sanity on Monday. I love you dearly.

About an hour after Anne left, I noticed that the caffeine had taken its hold on my body. I had transformed into the Tazmanian Devil. My pupils were dilated, tongue numb, and I was ready to zip in circles around The Pip and Little Mister, leaving them in a cloud of dust. Perhaps 3 shots of espresso was a tad too much. Don't worry. Later that afternoon, I bit the dust.

I had a long evening ahead of me. Nate the Great was at school for an open house. I gave myself a pep talk...I was the commander-in-chief. I couldn't let the precious ones see my weakness for fear they would try to overthrow me. Weary exhaustion had set in by 7:30 p.m., but I pressed on. A little bit later I heard a knock at my door.

Another fantastic blessing was waiting for me. My neighbor Mark stood there with a bag of fresh garden tomatoes in his hand. I am sure I confirmed that I had a screw loose by the way I went on and on with excitement. I couldn't believe my good fortune. We didn't plant a garden this year do to Big V and his exuberance for mischief. There is nothing like a warm tomato just picked from the garden.

This little gift boosted my emotional energy and I was able to trudge through bath time and all the warm fuzzies of our bed time routine while popping tomatoes in my mouth with joy. Thank you Mark for being a blessing and thank you Brennan for marrying him!

The Pip loves to sleep with her hands in her "poppy" box ("poppy"=paci). I have also gotten used to seeing stuffed animals or blankets cuddled in her arms.

Observing something in Little Mister's grip while in blissful slumber was a new experience.

Today, during nap time, I walked into their bedroom and checked on him. Held tight in his dimpled fist was a car he had been playing with this morning.

Since he and the car seemed inseparable, the two went into the crib together for a nap. I thought he would play for a while and then drop into his usual peaceful sleep, forgetting his little red car. The sight of him holding one of his favorite toys close warmed my heart.

Oh, who am I kidding? Just the sight of him is enough to make me want to leap over the side of the crib and gobble him up.

More Firsts

Today would have been my dad's 71st birthday. I was thinking about how he would have loved to celebrate and I thought the following pictures would have said it best. Even though we are grieving this first birthday without my dad, we are joyful in thought that he is having his first celebration in Heaven. As my mom shared with me this morning, "It will be the BEST he's ever had."

We miss you greatly and love you deeply.

"Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy."
~Author Unknown

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