Facial Fun!

 

Man, I thought smashing my face all around was fun when I was a kid.  I had no idea how much MORE fun it would be to smash my kid's face all around!  Luckily, he was enjoying it.  I think must have massaged his gums or something because he let me play with his face for a long time.  This was actually take two of the facial fun session.  I'd done it earlier in the day, but couldn't take a pic since both of my hands were otherwise engaged.  Ron was skeptical, but after seeing how much Ronnie enjoyed it, he was willing to help me snag a memory.  Thanks, honey!

Today, this is life as I know it!  -A 

Oopsie Daisey!

 

We knew this day was coming!  From the time he was very very small, Ronnie would kick his legs like a World Cup soccer player.  He eventually figured out that his car seat rocks when he kicks.  Now, he's a pro at rocking himself to sleep at the end of a busy day or just giving himself a gentle sway while he polishes off a bottle.  Sometimes though, he's in the mood to party!  When he's in the mood, he can rock this little seat all over creation!  Each time it rocks, it moves just a little bit so we have to be careful about where we put him.  We knew it was just a matter of time before he kicked so hard that the entire chair just flipped backwards.  Today was the day!  Thankfully, we were smart enough to know that he must always be fully buckled in his seat. Double thankfully, he thought it was hilarious!  My little dare-devil.  

 Today, this is life as I know it! -A 

Future worship leader?

 

My son loves music!  Shelby likes it alright and she's a great singer, but Ronnie never stops!  I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that when I was pregnant with Ronnie, I was leading worship at church.  He was born early February too and Christmas is the busiest time for singers!  I like to think it was during this special time that his love of music began.  Now, when I take him to rehearsal, we spend a lot of time laughing when we hear his little voice ring out between songs.  As I watch him, he just sings and sings while the band plays.  We just can't hear him until we stop!  He certainly doesn't let a lack of music stop him though.  It's so funny.  Now, he's starting to be interested in learning to clap.  I sure hope these are signs of things to come.  I pray that my boy will be a man after God's own heart who says "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever!" 

Today, this is life as I know it! -A 

Little Miss Independent

These days, we're exploring independence with the Shelb-ster.  I want to encourage my daughter to be strong and brave and to make her own decisions, but this is a tough time.  Because this is what happens when a 4 year old insists on putting on her own clips!  She is adorable and it's so funny to watch her flutter around the house getting ready to go somewhere with her hair all a mess.  However, if I let this girl out in public, I'd be taken away in a crazy bus!  So for the moment, we will strike a truce.  She may do her own hair anytime that we are at home.  If she has to step one foot out the door, Mommy gets to do her hair.  Seems to be working for now.  Guess this is stage 1 of the "you're not going out of the house looking like that" war.  Let the battle begin!  

Today, this is life as I know it. -A 

A few bad choices...

Do you think they give parent of the year awards to people who let their sick 4 year old stay up until 10:30 making and eating cookies?  No?  Drat.  I was so hoping....

No matter!  We had a BLAST!  Last year, Ron recorded a Good Eats episode about cookies - how to make them soft and chewy or cake-y and crumbly, whichever the cookie maker would like.  Well, in this house, we like warm and chewy so he did some research on different methods to create the PERFECT chewy chocolate chip cookie.  You'd be surprised what things matter.  For example - cold or melted butter, adding molasses, cold or room temp dough, whole eggs or just yolks, gluten levels in the flour...the list goes on and on.  Thankfully, my husband is a genius and he developed the most amazing chocolate chip cookie I've ever had.  I have been looking forward to them for an entire year and today was the day.  I was out late but Ron and Shelby graciously waited for me to get home which meant a late night for everyone.  But it was soooo worth it.  30 minutes and 3 glasses of milk later, we were laughing together at the table eating the first cookies of the season.

Today, this is life as I know it!  -A

Time flies when you're having fun!

 

So, some of you may have noticed that I missed a few days...Oops!  Life has been crazy wonderful and crazy busy this last week and every day that I planned to post, I was overwhelmed by the idea of trying to catch up that much!  So here's my solution.  This is a collage of my favorite pics from the last week (yes, I know there are too many here for 1/day but I liked them all so we'll just have to enjoy an extra!).  Going from top left to right:

Christmas is at the mall and it's only the first week of November...Oye - Shelby loves shopping on Saturdays at the mall - Sign of a good man: even at the mall, Ronnie's happy as a clam - Shelby is SUCH a good sister and a wonderful helper to Mommy - Ronnie got stuck and we had to coax him out like a dog.  He thought it was hilarious - "I love this tree. It has so many wonderful memories" - When a 4yr old doesn't have a nap, she falls asleep during her favorite movie and ends up watching the menu for a while - Daddy teaches Shelby how to make sauce: the legend continues! - Ronnie figures out how to put the balls in the tube on his stand up toy!

*whew*  Lots of great memories here.  Thanks for letting me share them as a group!

For the last few days, this is life as I know it!  - A 

Little baby hands

 

I love little baby hands.  They are just so cute!  Ronnie got the all-clear for table food at his last doctor's appointment, but the doc said he should be using two fingers for food instead of his whole fist.  No worries - just means more practice and we're good at that.  Ronnie is perfectly happy chillin' in his highchair with a few little snack puffs.   Watching him learn to chew and experience different textures is so fun!  He is also starting to figure out how to wave. Tonight at dinner, he was squealing at me and when I looked down to see what he wanted, he had both hands outstretched and his fingers were grasping the air.  He was so excited about it so I did it back to him.  This only made him squeal more!  A few minutes later, I looked and his hands were down.  I held mine out and finger waved.  With a big grin, he lifted his and did the same.  It wasn't consistent, but we're working on it.  Picture to come soon, I bet...

Today, this is life as I know it!  -A 

Hello, Kitty!

 

After Shelby's tragic doctor's appointment on Tuesday, I made a classic parent blunder.  I tried making up for it in a few different ways.  We went to lunch, got dessert, and then went shopping.  The fatal error came during this last leg of my penance.  Shelby has only 2 pairs of shoes - a white pair of sandals that are looking more gray than white and a pair of purple and white sneakers.  So I thought, what girl doesn't love shoe shopping?!  I told her we would go shoe shopping at Target and she could pick any shoes she wanted.  I know....what was I thinking?  Well, I was thinking they'd have some cute shoes that I could talk her into.  I was ALSO thinking, surely the galoshes would be with the gardening stuff.  I was wrong on both counts and she fell in LOVE with these!  I must admit that I was less than enthusiastic about spending $17.00 on rain boots when she still would have no decent church shoes, but a promise is a promise so purchase them we did. Today, it was all worth it.  It rained ALL day so when it was time to leave for grandma's after nap, she wasted no time getting her rain boots on!  I wish I had been able to take a picture of her walking down the sidewalk with her rain boots and Tigger umbrella, but it was raining to much for the camera to go outside.  I'll sure remember it though.  Parenting disaster turned rainy-day wonder!  God's grace IS sufficient!  :)

Today, this is life as I know it! - A 

Weekend Wednesday!

 

 Today was a GREAT day!  I got all of my morning work done pretty early and had more time than usual.  So...what better to fill the time than making a big breakfast!  Although pancakes are usually reserved for the weekend, sometimes, you just need pancakes in the middle of the week.  Shelby helped me whip together the breakfast trinity - pancakes, eggs, bacon - and we enjoyed them all together.  We even let Ronnie have a pancake!  The only thing missing from this pancake breakfast was daddy so we called him on speaker-phone to tell him how much we love him and how much we missed him.

Today, this is life as I know it! -A 

Those bruises are totally normal...

 

 Today, both my kiddies went to the doctor.  I never would have guessed how stressful that can be!  Shelby had her first set of shots of which she was cognizant.  She cried harder than I've seen her cry in a long time, which, of course, made me cry right along with her.  However, I determined that i would only mention that episode briefly for remembrance sake.  Now...on to the good stuff!  

Shelby is the "normal" size of a 5 year old which is great! .....except that she's 4.  It's not a bad thing at all...just funny.  :)  We've been concerned about her hearing because she always seems to be yelling, but they tested and found that she has perfect hearing!  Hooray!  The doctor also told me that she has great intuitive learning which means that she can figure out what to do without explicit instruction - LOVE that!!!

Ronnie...he "talked" literally every second that we were there. Thankfully, Dr. O'Hern told me this is a sign of high IQ and that it shows he's very smart and social - two of my favorite qualities!  Oh...and now that he's pulling up on everything and desperate to walk and play with his sister...those bruises are totally normal.  Which is good because his forehead's been covered with them for a couple of weeks now.  

Today, this is life as I know it.  -A 

The aftermath...

 

So here's a snapshot of the trick-or-treating aftermath.  It's funny, because we don't really let Shelby have sugar all that often so she was more interested in playing with it than eating it.  Can you see her "lollipop shop"?  All of her lollipops were neatly stored in the dining room table in one of the openings for the leaf.  Her organizational skills make me proud.  But...I digress.  She threw the towel in pretty early at the mall because candy just isn't all that important to her.  She was even talking about how she should give some of her candy away because she can't eat all of it!  She's amazingly good at sharing so this idea didn't come as a surprise to me.  Now, we've decided to let her have some out of her stash from time to time, but I'm so thankful that at 4 years old, this verdict makes her ecstatic instead of disappointed.    

Today, this is life as I know it.  -A 

Double Trouble!

  Okay, so I know I'm only supposed to upload my FAVORITE picture each day, but I couldn't help it.  These are my two favorite shots from today's halloween adventure.  Shelby was the most adorable ladybug at the mall (and there were about a guh-zillion to choose from).  Here, she's twirling and chewing her very first piece of bubble gum!  When I texted Ron to tell him about it, he asked if she "got" the not-swallowing rule.  She'd been doing great for about 10 minutes, but just as I went to text him back, Shelby pulled on my arm frantically - "Mommy!  I swallowed my gum by accident!"  By the look of terror on her face, you'd have thought she killed someone!  Good times.  

And Ronnie...well...he was completely enthralled while we took Shelby trick-or-treating.  So many people and bright costumes to look at.  He loved it!  This picture was the highlight though.  He sure loves his uncle Dave!  This happy smiley face was after no nap and a LOT of excitement.  Only love can keep a baby so happy.

As a side note, although he was fortuitously dressed in red, Ronnie was not dressed up and we just threw Shelby's antennae on him for a photo opp.   

Today, this is life as I know it! -A

Having fun is serious business!

 

Shelby always has fun at the Calvary Chapel Harvest Hoedown!  Here she is riding the bumpiest train on the planet!  Always a good time, though.  I love how seriously she takes everything - even fun.  Shortly after I snapped this picture, the conductor gave the instructions to keep their hands and feet inside the train.  It was very Disney-esque.  Right up until he said that it was especially important for them to keep their noses in the train.  At that statement, most of the kids on the train just giggled.  What a silly conductor!  But not my Shelby.  She scrunched up her nose as if that was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard.   

'Keep your nose inside the train. Peh.  Like anything else is possible.  What a ridiculous notion.'  

As you can see from her smile, she was having a great time, she just doesn't quite appreciate grown-up silliness.  My little seriously fun girl.  Thank you, Jesus for her! 

 Today, this is life as I know it! -A

I love extended family...

 

Today, I am thankful that my children are so loved - even beyond their own family.  This is our friend Claudia trying to prove that Ronnie is her son.  Doesn't he look half Mexican and half Iranian?  Claudia tries this all the time...we're all on to her.  This is a common occurrence at church!  All of the childcare workers and office staff at church care for my kids as if they were their own.  They have always been beautifully cared for and loved and for that, I am so eternally grateful.  Now, I know there may be rough roads ahead...teenagers, anyone?  I pray that this love-fest continues to help me and my kids through whatever lies ahead.  To my church family - I love you back!  Thank you for being amazing.

Today, this is life as I know it -A 

Opposites attract...

 

I love those moments when you get to see your children's personalities completely boiled down.  Today, Shelby could not stop talking about carving the pumpkin with her daddy.  She told me, Grandma, Grandpa, Daddy...everyone how excited she was!  Every year, she and Ron have this little tradition, but every year, there's a problem.  Shelby refuses to reach her hand in to clean out the pumpkin.  It's the only part of the job that she can really do and she refuses!  Here you can see her gingerly holding a spoon like the lovely young lady that she is, trying to make some progress, but the spoon was grossly inadequate.  Her hands are a safe distance from the pumpkin where they always are.  And then...there's Ronnie.  Her total opposite!  With a bold look of determination, he plunges his hand into the pumpkin to see what this is all about.  Once he had reached in, we had to peel him away from it!  These are the things that make having kids so much fun.  They are so completely different and I love them both with my whole heart.  As a math teacher, these relationships just don't make sense.  Just another example where the wisdom of God is as foolishness to men and I LOVE it!   

Today, this is life as I know it! -A 

My very own Ode to Joy...

 

Today, I regain my sanity.  I know that taking a picture of laundry is kinda silly, but...there you have it.  This picture represents everything that is important to me as a housewife - cleanliness and order.  My favorite "job" (if you can call it that) is being a wife and mom.  For me, loving my family means keeping my children safe and healthy as they learn and grow and making our home a peaceful, comfortable place for my husband to come home to after a long, hard day of work.  Lately, these responsibilities have been on the back burner for lots of reasons, but today, I am back in business!  So...I don't mind if it's silly...I enjoy me some sorted laundry waiting in line to be cleaned.  I will master this!

Today, this is life as I know it! -A 

Life is a vapor...

 

Today was one of those days that challenge.  You know the kind - things didn't go right, I could not focus, the kids were not behaving...the list goes on and on.  However, James tells me to consider it all joy when I fall into various trials knowing that the testing of my faith produces patience!  Apparently, I'm in very desperate need!  He tells me that patience will, if I let it, have it's perfect work in me that I might be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  This picture represents my attempt to see the rainbow through the storm.  I was trying to work (to no avail) and was extremely distracted by the huge pile of dishes in the kitchen.  "Why are there ALWAYS dishes?!" I thought to myself.  Thankfully, on the heels of that thought, came one that melted my heart.  There are things in my life that will always be there...and not in a good way.  But there are things that will not always be there, and I'll miss them when they're gone.  Shelby's crayons and coloring notebook were sitting next to me as I sat at the computer.  They will not always be there.  *Snap*  These are things I want to remember from even my most challenging days.  These are the things that are worth it.

Today, this is life as I know it. - A 

Singin' in the rain!

 

 I feel like a broken record at this point.  I hope that my readers are not sick of hearing it.  There really IS something about prayer.  It looked cloudy all morning, though these days, that doesn't mean much.  I remember actually trying to think of a way to change the lyrics to the "rain, rain, go away" song.  I silently lifted my eyes to the heavens and asked that God would send some rain for my Shelby to play in.  She's our first child so Ron and I are always trying to remember not to be too strict.  The fact that she's 4 and has never played in the rain (well...HAD never played in the rain) has actually been the topic of several discussions in recent months.   We've both been waiting patiently for the day when the sky would open up and we could set her free with total abandon to enjoy this magic that God created for her.  Today was the day!  Almost the end of October and we got a full-blown summer-esque downpour.  Needless to say, it wasn't long before her tiny shriek of joy was heard echoing through the rain drops.  She was already in her suit and everything - playing in her pool.  God decided to go ahead and ice that cake for me.  He does that a lot.  :)  

Today, this is life as I know it. -A

Hello, friend!

I frequently pray that God would provide friends for my children and today, He answered that prayer for my son.  Ronnie, meet Ronnie.  We spent a good deal of time standing in front of my mom's mirror as he smiled and screeched and sang to his new found friend.  We're all convinced that he was trying desperately to share his toys with himself as well, but since his other half was not cooperative, in the end, he kept the rings for himself.   These are the days of exploration and I'm loving every minute of it!  

Today, this is life as I know it.  -A 

The heart of a child...

Today, as I watched Shelby enjoy a slice of pizza for lunch, I was reminded of  one of my fondest memories.  My sister-in-law, Carolyn and her daughter, Sydney, had come over to spend some time with us.  We decided to call for pizza that night - quick and easy, a mother's favorite two words.  Our daughters were ecstatic!  Syd began running around our then empty dining room singing (for the world to hear) "Pizza guy! Pizza guy!" over and over.  It didn't take very long at all for Shelby to pick up the tune and join her cousin in the joyous dance.  Although this song and dance routine was very loud and lasted about 40 minutes until said pizza guy arrived, it remains one of my most cherished memories of how finding joy in every detail of the day truly is possible with the heart of a child.  

Lord, help me remember this truth every day!  

Today, this is life as I know it. -A

Here is my reward!

Behold! Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. -Psalm 127:3

My mom and I often joke with each other, saying "well, I must be God's favorite - just look at what He's done for me!"  So, this one's for you mom - see this picture?  Obviously, I'm His favorite!  

 My children are such a blessing.  Today, after Bible study, we enjoyed some play time on the floor together and I couldn't help but thank God for these two little angels.  They are the light of my life!  It's been a long time since I've seen my face in a picture looking so completely....complete.  

Thank you, Father, for my family...and for making me Your favorite! 

Today, this is life as I know it! -A 

Let the battle begin!

 

Look, Ma!  I think he likes them! 

We started Ronnie on fruit today!  Beech Nut Peaches, Oatmeal, and Banana.  The sweetness that assaulted my nose when I opened the jar aroused my suspicions - this would be the end of his love for vegetables.  Upon tasting them, Ronnie quickly confirmed those suspicions.  He grunted and snorted and literally sang in between every. single. bite.  Don't get me wrong, I'm VERY glad that he was so happy.  It's always a blessing to see your children enjoying life.  However, dinner was interesting.  

Carrots and oatmeal didn't receive near as warm a welcome to the day as evidenced by the fact that he ate approximately 2.4 bites and then started turning away and making faces.  Bring it on, fruit!  I can handle it!  

Today, this is life as I know it. 

Man on a mission!

Just so it's clear, God answers prayer.  This morning, I prayed specifically that God would give me some time today to play with Ronnie on the floor!  Tonight, when Ron got home, he and Shelby decided to watch a movie so I had the baby all to myself.  We crawled all over the place together.  At this moment, he'd discovered that he'd lost his Binky and was headed to retrieve it. 

I can appreciate a man who knows what he wants. 

Today, this is life as I know it.  -A

The why behind the what...

Many have asked how I can do the job that I do.  It's the hardest job I've ever had, requiring the most patience and the most perseverance.  I often feel like all I do is work...

and then...

there is this face!  I was thinking today that between getting ready for work, commuting to work, working late, going to pick Shel up from the sitter and getting back home, I wouldn't have any more time with her than I do now.  And I would miss this.  A mid-day, "mommy, I love you!" kissy face.  I may have been in front of the computer, and/or on the phone, but I got to see it.  I wouldn't trade that for anything.  So...today, this is life as I know it.  And I say thank you, Lord, and Florida Virtual School, for allowing me to enjoy this moment!   -A