"it's kinda like..."

I've been hearing that phrase lately from Miss Elyse.  She's into comparing LOTS of things around here.

On chewing her dinner: "It's kinda like gum, but it's pasta."

On a picture of Grandma Tildy in her But No Elephants book: "It's kinda like Miss Judy {our neighbor}, but it's really Grandma Tildy."

On my eye shadow this morning: "It's kinda like Shiloh {her cousin}, but it's eye shadow."

On chewing her grapes: "It's kinda like gum, but it's really grapes."

On my face cream: "It's kinda like lip gloss, but it's Mommy's cream."

On the occasion of her bath tonight: "It's kinda like swimming, but it's a bath!"

On just about any cracker she has: "It's kinda like a cookie, but it's a cracker."

On chewing her biscuit: "It's kinda like gum, but it's a biscuit!"

As you can see, she's the eternal optimist.

Someday she'll be allowed to have gum!

1 til 1!

ELEVEN months old!  Emily Mae, stop it.  My little string bean has been fattening up nicely these days, and I am enjoying seeing a few rolls here and there.  I can probably credit her love for avocados & bread for that.  Em has been learning so much; I will probably forget to jot down all of the things I've noticed recently.  She is very spunky.  Still.  Not changing one bit, and I guess I should get used to that.  She is now crawling, which is fun for all of us, and it is really fun to watch, I must say.  I don't mind chasing her or teaching her all the fun new boundaries (YET), since she's got this perpetual look of determination & joy on her little face as she explores.  I am always amazed at what babies must think as they crawl around for the first time.  Emily's most recent adventure was a week at Grandma's and Grandpa's house, and she didn't seem to notice that her daddy and I disappeared for a few days!  She loved chasing around their dog, Daisy, and I'm sure Daisy is missing her benefactress.  Emily was ALWAYS willing to share her food.  She's as mischievous as ever, and I wish I had her energy.  All of it.

Em's sleeping less during the day (FINALLY!), which is nice.  If she takes a long morning nap, she'll take a shorter afternoon nap, and vice versa.  She's still a little piggy and loves to eat.  Her current favorites are bread, broccoli, avocado, potatoes, cheese, and ANYTHING we're eating.  She's the messiest little eater, but she sure is happy while she's eating.  She is learning a few "signs" here and there, but she has yet to talk to me :)  We've been having some battles with Emily keeping her bib on, and she must be so used to the "no-no" phrase already... when I saw her little hand reaching up to her bib tonight, I gave her the stern: "Emily..." ... and she said "na-na!"  She's really into crinkling up her little nose when she's being silly, and typically she'll pull that face on me as I scold her over something.  *sigh*  Just have to laugh.  She LOVES to pull Elyse's hair and grab at her glasses still, and she is also into guzzling her bath water.  Seriously gross.  

Emily's trying to mimic Elyse by shaking her head "no" (I like to pretend she has no idea what she's doing, and I think I'm right), and it's quite funny.  She has a ways to go.  She's still using her voice a LOT, and she's such a busy baby.  Short tempered at times, but fun :)  Here are some of my current fun's and not-so-fun's:

fun's:

* I am LOVING her new scrunchy-nose-goofy face!!!

* I love that her feet are MAYBE three inches from tip of heel to tip of toe.  She might not ever be able to walk on those things, but they're sure cute!

* Summery clothes.  Bring 'em on!

* I love hearing her play in her crib.  Sometimes it's within seconds of screaming her head off, but it sure is funny.  She'll squeal and explore all four corners.

* Emily loves getting Elyse's attention.  Elyse is the FIRST and ONLY person she wants to see.  

* Her "all done" sign looks like a little wave :)

* When she does wave, it looks like she's testing the strength of her wrist!

* I love seeing her crawling around in her crib; when she spots us, she'll just light up and start flopping around on her stomach like a fish.

* She is definitely figuring out boundaries, and she will often go right towards trouble with a twinkle in her eye and a smirk on her face.  I'm in trouble.

* She does this little game with us where she'll blow raspberries.. we'll mimic her, and we go back and forth.

* She still cuddles with me.. briefly :)

not-so-fun's:

* Emily's strong bond with toys she shouldn't have.  'Nuf said.

* Outdoors... Unless she's constrained or in a swing, she's eating whatever's on the ground.

* She is a very impatient child when it comes to food.  Still.

* She is spitting more often than she should... with or without food in her mouth.  That could be a result of the above listed game :) 

* She can work up a mean diaper!

* I'm NOT cutting her hair, but what do you do with a girl who keeps trying to eat her clips?  

* Emily's going to hit a year old and just get all toddler on me.  I know it's coming, and it makes me sad in many ways.  I'm going to enjoy this last month to its fullest!!

Emily Mae, I'm wondering where my docile baby went, but I LOVE who you are!  I can't wait to see how you channel all of that spunk into life!  You're welcome to cuddle with me anytime.

Spring

i feel like i can actually say it: spring.

i'm loving it.

the girls are loving it.

and, no, they're not this intense about it.

it's exciting enough to blow raspberries about.

and, spring makes me remember the days when the most beautiful flowers

in the world grew in our backyard...

and, before you start mocking my matchie-matchie taste, may i submit that those precious shirts for $1 at target last fall were worth the trip down memory lane into 1985.

i'm sure some of you remember wearing those exact colors in stripes?

you know, that age when the biggest concern of your life was wind in your hair or dirt in between your toes... or that mommy wouldn't let you eat the grass... the tough things in life.

but most of the time, spring just meant sunshine, some rain, green grass & happiness. 

happy springtime!

Little bit of love

Good old sister love.  Pictures like this do remind me of the reason parents fail to remember horrible behavior of their little ones years later.  I mean, who in their right mind could ever imagine these two NOT being this sweet to each other?  And, I've decided that I do not want to take pictures of my children being mean to each other (within reason), so this is how it will be for me: glossy pictures.  

(p.s.  I'm loving their bare arms!!)

News of the weird.

We used to have a column in our newspaper when I was younger entitled "News of the Weird."  Sometimes I feel like I'm living there.  Well, most of these happenings aren't "weird" in the classic sense, but they're still odd... to me.

* One of Elyse's new goofy habits is to speak without moving her lips.  Try it.  I have a feeling you're trying it now and then realizing how funny you look.  Perhaps she'll be a ventriloquist when she grows up!!  YES.

* Elyse is still in the habit of referring to her dad as "little baby Daddy" sometimes.  I almost caught myself calling him that the other day.  I took a nap.

* My oldest daughter is going through a very "unique" stage.  She cannot relax and play at the park.  I'm starting to wonder if she's afraid of heights, because she insists on crawling through the jungle gym and keeps looking precariously over the edges.  I do feel badly for her, but she's fully enclosed.  Could be a long spring & summer.

* Elyse is getting very upset about stains on her clothes, or Emily's clothes for that matter.  She'll point at it and even start crying at times.  Sadly, it hasn't impacted the way she eats.  Bummer.

* Elyse is also very attached to the lake we drive by on our way to church.  She says hi to it, tells it goodbye, and even cries sometimes as we drive away.  "Bye-bye, Stumpy Lake!  See ya later!"  She talks about this lake ALL WEEK.

* I was at the store with the girls a while back, and an older lady stopped me to ask about the kids.  She said something like (pointing at Emily), "is that her [Elyse's] baby brother or sister?"  I replied that Em was Elyse's sister, and then I realized Em was wearing pigtails.  I couldn't quit smiling, but I'm glad the lady didn't seem to notice.

* Elyse has been using a "Mommy voice" lately.  It's high-pitched and kind of sing-songy.  Yes, just like my voice.  I hear her using it when she is reminding herself to do things that I would normally tell her... "Last bite!" or "Be careful!" or "Do not scream!"  She loves to ask where Daddy went, especially 10 times right after he has left the house for work.  The other day, she sat at the table eating her lunch, said goodbye to Daddy, and said, "Where'd Daddy goooooo?"  Our conversation:

Me: "Daddy went to work." (My explain-it-one-time rule)
Elyse: "Where'd Daddy go?"
Me: "Honey, you know where Daddy went.  Where did he go?"
Elyse: "Where'd Daddy go?   {change voice: a bit lower}  Daddy went to work.   {change voice again: Mommy voice}  Stop asking where Daddy went!"

Oops.  Guess I don't always handle those questions so calmly.

* I have pages memorized in books Elyse reads, just to avoid anxiety.  Page 138 in her Winnie the Pooh book has the picture of the pancake.  These numbers float in my head daily.

* Elyse has been asking where everyone she knows is on a daily basis.  She inevitably asks, "Mommy go to work?"  I seriously have the best job ever.  I love it :)  ... even in all of it's weirdness.

10 Months Old!

I can't figure out what I'm more surprised about: that Em is 10 months old or that it's March 19th.  Hmm...  I have had several STOP-THIS-TRAIN moments over the course of the last month, as usual ...  I'm sick of saying how fast time is going, so I'm sure you all are sick of reading it.  I'll stop.  SO, back to Emily Mae.  She's my goofy little girl.  Elyse has picked up the word "goober" from us in reference to her, and Emily does seem to fit that description quite often.  She's got a strong personality (shocker) and seems to be quite intense about every activity.  From eating, to playing, to moving, to crying, she does everything with all of her energy.  She's as squirmy as ever, and though I admit I don't take much time to read to her individually, I look forward to the day she'll enjoy reading more. :)  She loves to clap, and that is still her only "trick" right now.  As far as eating goes, I have abandoned pureeing foods for her.  As of 2 weeks ago, finger foods it is!  Em took about a week or so to adjust to having to feed herself most of her food, but she's doing great now.  I am enjoying the liberation of being able to eat some of my own food when we sit down, but I'm suffering through the extraordinary mess she makes.  It's kind of unbelievable.  I'm sure many of you can relate to the fun it is to thoroughly clean your kids and your kitchen after every meal, right?  She hasn't refused to eat anything YET, and her favorites are bananas, bread, pears, cheese, avocados, & blueberries.  She's less impatient now that she's the one stuffing her face, but there are times she just gets fed up with feeding herself.  We hear about it.  Yes, we do.

She takes a morning nap, an afternoon nap, and a catnap after dinner.  Sometimes we can "comfortably" forego the evening nap, which is great if we're out.  As long as she's amused, we're fine :)  She has blessed me recently with sleeping in until 8am a few mornings, but she fell right back into her old ways.  Thankfully, I can credit the time change for 7am - 7:30am wakeups instead of those evil hours beginning with a "6."

As far as mobility goes, Emily's enjoying motion :)  Her favorite is to sit surrounded by toys... use her arms to navigate her body quickly in a full circle while she scopes out what's around her.  Once she's turned a few 360's, she'll settle on the most engaging toy.  For about 1 minute.  Spin.  Repeat.  She is great at rolling and getting where she wants to go as long as it doesn't involve moving forward.  Seriously, she can move sideways and backwards.  She's kind of into pestering her big sister, but she's pretty nice overall.  Jordan said she got up on her knees yesterday, but I have not yet witnessed this feat.

Her other new habit is making this goofy sound with her mouth that we used to call the lawnmower sound (remember, Kris?).  Hard to describe, but she makes the noise throughout her playtime. :)  She loves to blow raspberries still and STILL hasn't said ma-ma.  :(  She loves to scream her head off just to get attention.  She'll yell at the top of her lungs, and I'll run into the room just to find her laughing.  She's notorious for pulling those false alarms often.  She loves to pant like a dog, which is just strange.  Now that she's giggling more, we're having fun making her laugh.... and she loves to make gargling noises when she's not giggling.

fun's:
* Emily's obsessed with ceiling fans.  As soon as she enters a room, it's the first thing she looks for- good luck distracting her out of that!
* her goofy jabbering & noises
* the way she lights up when she sees Mommy or Daddy OR Elyse
* watching her gasp for breath & giggle if the wind is blowing in her face
* Em's just starting to "hug" me- grabbing my shoulders when she's being held
* She loves to knock things off of her toy box, which is at the foot of her crib.  I see her little hand poke between the slats and start pushing things off... She gives me a big smile when I catch her in the act.  I admit, Daddy is the one that keeps putting the stuff back up, but I think I would, too, just to catch her in the act...
* I love the way she loves her daddy...
* She holds her breath with delight when she gets to "fly" into her crib at night.  She immediately rolls to her back and starts laughing.
* I love watching her push her little booty up in the air!
* Warm weather is coming, and she's got the cutest feet to display.  I can say that- I'm her mom.
* I do love watching her enjoy food.

not-so-fun's:
* In light of that, I don't enjoy watching her rub food in her hair. That is one big downfall of all of that hair!!  She could pretty much use a bath after every meal.
* With all of her energy comes a great deal of frustration if she can't get what she wants.  BOO.
* Screams.  Screams.  Screams.  Screams when she wants to roll over while I'm changing her diaper, screams while she's getting her two teeth brushed, screams when she's impatient... when I scold her, she gives me a pretty evil smile, too :)  She LOVES to hear her own voice.
* She's not at ALL gentle with books.  Even board books take a beating with her!
* Emily's totally a second child.  I have a feeling she'll get all the things her big sister didn't at this age... aka. sugar.  I'm TRYING to hold out until she's 1, so we'll see if I can...

We love you, Emily~ Please learn to quit pulling your sister's hair & glasses... other than that, we think you're just perfect :) 

I'm pretty sure I'll never adjust to...

. . . sweeping up mounds of food off my kitchen floor.  Seriously, I could have stored it in a container as a legitimate leftover.  I didn't, but I could have.  There was a whole meal there!  Ever since Emily's been eating primarily finger food, we've started being more in awe of when she actually keeps food on her tray.

Will I ever get used to picking my girls' noses?  That is just not a cool mom task.  But, hey, it's got to come out sometimes.

I'm wondering if I'll ever adjust to hunting down the nearest bathroom whenever we're out, just in case Elyse needs a stop immediately.  I feel like I'm more in tune with toilets than emergency exits.

Will I ever get used to being a potty coach?

Will I ever get used to almost fully bathing my children after every meal?

Is it possible to quit noticing that my back pockets almost always hold a used tissue from my girls' noses?

I'm not sure if this is normal with other moms, but will I ever go back to using a scented candle just for fun (as opposed to masking the smell of the girls' bedroom)?  Embarrassing, but true.

Not sure if it's possible to ever adjust to singing poopie songs regularly throughout the day.

Will I ever stop caring that Emily has ingested unidentified objects from my floors?  I think not.

Will I ever stop chuckling at the fact that Elyse puts her Little People doll on the Little People potty and teaches said doll how to go?  Visually?

Will I ever get used to the fact that I've gotten more excited about my kids' hair than my own for the last year?

Will I ever get used to the girls' jabbering at bedtime?  I must say, it's like a brand new, fun sound every night.  I especially loved hearing, "Emily Mae, look at this!" and hearing a loud thud as Elyse hit the crib floor tonight.  Smiles.

These are just some of the things that I've been pondering lately.... :)  

Lovable

It's raining cats & dogs out there, and I am completely content to be sitting on the couch, looking forward to finishing up my latest read.  Sadly, I'm missing my husband who is slaving away at work so I can sit here on the couch.  We've had a nice, uneventful week, and I am thankful.  I've been able to focus on some things that needed focusing on (aka my HOUSE), and my kiddos haven't minded the attention either.  Here's a little of what's going on around here:

* We bought a minivan.  It's true.  I'm not sad in the least, and my sweet husband has warmed up to our new friend quite nicely :)  He keeps reminding me it's MINE (perhaps to console himself), but I see the love when he drives it.  NOTHING is more convenient in our stage of life.  NOTHING.  I'm sold.  I'm so thankful for God's provision.

* Emily's just getting around.  Plain & simple.  She's found behind furniture, under furniture, chewing on who-knows-what, all the while, just blowing raspberries and entertaining herself.  She's just started rocking around a bit on her knees, but she's not fully UP yet.  Elyse is even more annoyed that she now has no personal space :)

* The girls' new favorite bedtime routine is "flying."  They both love to fly into their cribs, courtesy of Mommy or Daddy, or both of us.  I especially love when we're both around for bedtime so we can each take a girl.  The routine basically consists of flying the girls around like little airplanes and landing them gently in their beds.  Seriously.  That's it.  It's the coolest thing ever.  The thing I love about it the most is that they're too little to be competitive about it.  If it's just me putting them to bed, they excitedly watch the other fly around and wait so patiently for their turn.  I just love that they're so happy for each other in the littlest of things.

* Elyse has fallen off the potty twice.  I probably should have eased into that announcement, but I just had to say it.  There are no words to describe what probably happened, but she's being a bit more careful these days.

* I just have to tell you my dryer story.  Our dryer broke over the weekend, and I was incredibly sad.  The weekend was busy enough that laundry had to wait, but Monday's laundry hit hard.  When you do an average of 7 loads of laundry a week (sometimes more), a dryer is a wonderful commodity.  SO, I set up my clothes rack and had laundry drying everywhere: backyard, living room, kitchen, etc...  Jordan was just about to order the suspected part when I got an email from a sweet friend "out of the blue" asking if I wanted their dryer.  They're moving to FL & on a whim asked :)  So thankful for her generosity & for God's provision just when we needed it!

* Elyse has been my little buddy lately.  She's a pretty fun tag-a-long, most of the time.  Her newest favorite activity is to sit up on the bathroom counter with her chap-stick while I put on my make-up.  I've never seen a person apply so many layers of chap-stick.  It's hilarious.  She's also into "helping" me cook, clean, fold laundry, etc...  She's so into tagging along, that she loves to put her hands in my back pockets and let me drag her around.  Seriously.

Lovable: that's what my kids are.  I admit, I had a few moments today that seemed to challenge that statement, but they are lovable.  We had a bowl of peas tumble across the kitchen floor, a few meltdowns seemingly over nothing, a couple of those Mommy can't get anything done moments, but it only takes a couple of smiles from these two to put me back in a good mood.  I am guilty of rushing the girls off to bed on those kind of nights.  Tonight, I decided to let Elyse sit on my lap while we read (usually Em's roost), and Emily sat next to me.  It only took having my arm around Emily to send her into a fit of giggles, which were soon accompanied by Elyse's giggles.  Needless to say, we didn't get any significant reading done.  Seriously, it's moments like those that make we wonder why it is I care about those other yuk moments.  Give those you love a squeeze tonight.  Life is too short, and we have so many precious blessings.

Well, my book is calling.  I'm also thinking the cookies on the counter might be calling, but I'm not sure if it's them or the apple in the fridge.  Okay, who am I kidding?  The cookies are calling.

Welcome to West Virginia

Okay, totally kidding about that heading :)  These cousins just love each other.  I got to watch my two nephews and 1 niece over the weekend (just Friday and part of Saturday) and it was so fun.  I must say, just in case I was ever considering five children & a dog (which I wasn't), this might have changed my mind.  How do mommies with five children cook or clean?  Just wondering.  Other than that, we had a blast.  Elyse loved having someone to play with other than Mommy and Em, and E & S were so gracious to share their toys with the girls.  Several times, I'd see them helping each other with toys, or tasks, and I was just so impressed with their sweetness.  Elyse was especially impressed with the boys' marble racer.  HOLY COW.  I need one.  It was pretty much all she talked about both days, and she shed a great deal of tears whenever it was put away (whenever 2 certain cute babies were awake).  So, Jordan seems to think he had one as a boy, so I'm on the hunt!

I especially enjoyed my time with the kids because I wasn't at my house.  I had no cleaning, laundry, or other necessary distractions to keep me from enjoying the kids and just being able to take care of them.  NOT that it was boring, by any means, but it sure made it fun.  Ahh, if only every day were free of distractions like laundry! :)

This and that

It's beginning to look a lot like Spring!  I must say, it's lovely.  We enjoyed some time outdoors today, and it made me eager to enjoy this spring with two little girls who like to be outside.  Notice I didn't say LOVE to be outside.  Elyse isn't exactly a real "outdoors-woman," but I think Emily will most likely LOVE it.  Here's a little bit of what's going on with the girls. . . unless anyone wants to hear about my recent new habits, new words, or funny personality traits?  Yea, didn't think so.

Emily.  Miss Emily.  Don't even know where to start.  I'll probably save most of her news for her 10 month post, but here are a few updates:

* This girl is serious about her food.  I think I've hinted at that in the past, but I have never seen such an impatient baby.  Seriously, her spoon can enter her mouth once every 2 seconds, and it's still not fast enough. I've got to start planning bigger meals for this baby.  She is eating a TON at meal time.  She has really liked meat so far, but cottage cheese was a bit too much for her.  I'm hoping that changes?

* Em is also enjoying finger foods.  We're still working on expanding her repertoire, but she's doing well.  She loves to clap when she manages to get something in her mouth.

* I am still seeing a goofy side that frightens me a bit.  I do believe Em would love to be tickled all day.  We've started getting a lot more giggles out of her, too, which is fun.  Along with that goofy side comes a little smirk when she's scolded.  Already.  9 months old.

Elyse is a small tornado around here most days.  I love all of her creative energy, and at times it can be a bit challenging to keep up with her.  I am extra thankful for the quiet moments of reading & focused playtime that make the craziness more fun :)  Here's what she's been up to:

* I love seeing her imagination develop.  I love that she'll talk to her toys, or about her toys, when she's all by herself. I love seeing her "boss" her toys around by telling them where they will sit, or what they will do.  Yep, she's turning out to be a great big sister.

* I love watching her dance.  Seriously, she has one move she uses over and over again, and it's so funny to me.  I admit, she might need a lesson or two.

* Somewhere over the course of the last few months, certain table manners have disappeared.  I totally take the blame on this one, as I should have been continuing in my instruction on manners, but she has become quite a messy eater.  I've resorted to having her place her left hand flat on the table most meals to keep her little fingers from wandering around her plate.  I'm fortunate if I can get her fork and spoon to engage the food at all with some meals.  SO, we're working diligently to retrieve some etiquette.  The worst is when I catch her in the act of reaching for her yogurt with her fingers, and she'll look up at me with the cheesiest grin and say, "Hi, Mommy!"

* I love the random things that come out of her mouth.  She'll say "Hi, sweetheart!" to us and give us the kind of side-hug we give her at times.  She'll also say, "You're my sweetie-pie!" when she is trying to get out of trouble...  I do love when she says "lay on Mommy's shoulder" and puts her head down.

* Here's a recent funny:  The other day I took Em to her 9 month check up, and Elyse and I had a conversation about it afterwards.  It went like this:
Elyse:  Mommy took Emmie to the doctor!
Me:  Yes, Emily had a check up.
Elyse:  Mommy?  The Doctor said, "No more monkeys jumpin' on the bed!"

* Elyse has been loving her potty sticker chart, and we're pretty much "day" potty trained.  Momma is one happy camper about that.  Seriously.  And, not just because I'm no longer giving her treats for succeeding :)  She's done super these last two weeks, and I'm realizing how big she is.  This is one major milestone that makes her seem so grown up!  Negative: I actually took her potty seat to church with me Sunday.  A new low.  Positive: No more diaper purchases for Elyse!

* Elyse loves her kids' class at church.  She talks all week about going to her big girl class, and though she acts all shy when she gets there, it's all we hear about afterwards.  I love hearing her talk about her friends.

* Elyse loves to answer questions with "um... maybe..." or "how 'bout...."  She also loves to make suggestions.  For instance, from the minute she wakes up in the morning, she's asking about breakfast.  When I ask her what she wants for breakfast (mostly just for amusement), she'll say, "umm.. how 'bout cinnamon rolls... or banana bread with butter... or cookies... um.. or peanut butter!"  I'm not sure where she gets this stuff!!  She had half of a cinnamon roll one time, and it must have impacted her greatly.  And, no, I don't serve her cookies for breakfast.  :)  She just learned the word "because" and has NO idea what it means.  Her sentence might go something like this: "Need to be nice to Emmie, because, it's time to eat in a litta-bit."

* She's turned all of the words with "ooo" sounds into "ew" sounds.  For instance, she'll say "Mommy does that tew!" or "just like yew."  I'm not sure if that will stick around or not, but it is kind of funny.  Food is fewd, do is dew, etc...

* She loves her Curious George book.  It's a book containing 8 stories, and she will sit on the couch and slowly move through every page.  Did I mention that I love her Curious George book, too?

* She's still not super adventurous, and I find that unfamiliar situations bring extra challenges. . . especially if my arms are already full with a certain squirmy baby.  We're working on friendliness & kindness a LOT.

I love my two darlings.  They sure keep life interesting and fun!