Withwards

Part Three

2011-10-04T04:53:00.000-07:00

Part Two

2011-10-04T04:43:00.001-07:00

Let's see if it works this time...please let me know if you can see Caiden reading. Thanks!

Caiden's Reading Debut

2011-10-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

Today we began our two weeks celebrating Autumn's arrival, and learning about apples. I found this book at Brightlight Book's clearance sale for next to nothing. It's perfect for Caiden to read all on her own. I had intended to upload a video of her reading the book to you all, but several hours of failed attempts, I am giving up. I'll try and find a way to share it eventually...

In other news:

Today we...
* made a "What Do I Know" and "What I Want to Learn" chart about apples.
* discussed the differences in fruit and vegetables and why apples are fruit.
* learned new vocabulary words: bud, blossom, stem, petals
* discussed the life cycle of an apple tree, seed to fruit, and also by season.
* read I Am An Apple twice- once with help, once almost by herself as shown on the movie.
* wrote to her penpal Emma.
*worked on recognizing number words and matching them to the appropriate number of objects.

Tomorrow we will...
* make an apple pie, and introduce fractions as we cut the apples, and then as we cut the pie!
* read How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World
* put up our world map on the kitchen wall and label the countries the girl visits to gather the ingredients of the pie.
* discuss the countries, color flags, etc.
* learn new vocabulary from the book.
* do a real-life subtraction problem with the apples we have, and then how many we use for the pie, and how many are left over afterwards.

Wednesday we will:
* read The Giving Tree
* practice memory verse
* practice the apple poem

Thursday we will:
* paint a four part picture showing an apple tree in each season.
* label parts of an apple tree that were gifts to the boy
* discuss the feelings of the boy and the apple tree and make a "Happiness Is" book
* practice memory verse

Friday we will:
*Have Caiden read Apples Up On Top with Daddy
* Try and balance bean bag (apples) and walk
* Make an apple book matching number words one through ten with the numbers 1-10.
* Read other apple books picked up from the Library.
*Review

It took a long time to upload this movie clip. I'll post the other two parts later...

Love and like

2011-09-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

I love my silly willy girlies.
I love that they were serious Daddy snugglers tonight.
I am thrilled with how our school plans went down this week. (THANKS MOM for coming through in a pinch!!!)
I really seriously LIKE my crock pot and my Yankee Candle tart warmer. (we're trying to be conscious of using "love" and "like" appropriately...can you tell? Because the exaggerator in me really does what to use the word LOVE!)
And happiness really can be found in having tomorrow's dinner cooking in the crockpot right now and clean up done.
I may just have found the cure for the "I'm too tired to think about what to cook because it's Friday" blues! Ahh, what a lovely Thursday night!
Oh, and my girls memorized Proverbs 29:11 this week. Even Addison. I love it!!

My final love of the night...
Based on Proverbs 29:11, (A foolish man gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man controls himself."We did a lot of discussing on what it means to be foolish and wise.

Yesterday in the car, Caiden asked me if someone's Mama was wise. I didn't know where she was headed so I answered with a question, "well, I want to know what you think." She answered in the negative based on this standard. "Her Mama doesn't give her children consequences, and so she's not obeying God, because children are supposed to obey their parents, so that means she is foolish." Ouch. She's observing so much. Understanding God's Word so well, and internalizing our explanation of discipline in our home in such a profound way. She's watching folks. She's watching.....

How was YOUR Thursday night treating you?

Week Three- Storm in the Night

2011-09-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

This is a Five in a Row (FIAR) book- I wanted to make sure we got it in before our summer thunder storms were gone!

A lot of this week was from www.homeschoolshare.com which has free lap book components to use with B4FIAR and FIAR books.

Day One: We talked about Titles- how they tell us what the book is about, and how they are always capitalized.
Bible- we read Isaiah 41:10 and talked about fear.
Science- we talked about clouds- the four most common types. Made a layered book on black paper with white chalk.
Art- cotton ball painting.

Day Two: Dictionary introduction- make vocab cards from vocab in book.
Math/Science- Graph weather daily- introduction. Analyze results daily. (we have more days of sun than we have of clouds)
Art- facial expressions/labeling
Read- Walter Was Worried- Seeger

Day Three: Five Senses/ Listening Walk
Thunderstorm observations- smells, sights, sounds, touch, (a storm actually happened- so cool!)
Talk about quotation marks.
Read Like a Hundred Drums
Narration of the story- draw pictures.

Day Four: Bubble Chart - things related to a storm (that we noticed yesterday)
Brainstorm on sources of light
Discuss the term "Onomatopoeia".
Read- Yum, Yum, What Fun! (a book on onomatopoeia)

Day Five: Quilt Math- identify and color each shape accordingly and then analyze the results. (How many triangles, squares,
rectangles, etc.)
Lapbook assembly

Week Two- The Carrot Seed

2011-09-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

The second week coincided with the optimal Fall garden planting time. How perfect! We read the Carrot Seed a Before Five in a Row (B4FIAR) book selection. Phyllis asked if these activities were from FIAR (or B4FIAR) or things I just came up with. The short answer is "yes". Many of these activities are from the books suggestions for these literature selections, however, I am enjoying the creative liberty I am able to have while doing unit studies with this curriculum. I just have so many ideas! Most of these units have taken us two weeks because I have found so many activities that can go along with them, or we've found additional books from the Library that also support our units. We're having way too much fun. =)

Day 1- we talked about the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8 and the different kinds of soil.
What does a plant need to grow? (air, water, sun) - made a cute cut out for the lap book.
Rose's Garden- read together.
Chose an activity from our Math bucket. (More on Literacy and Math buckets later!)
Discussed hard and soft "c" sounds and thought of a bunch of words with these sounds in the initial position and had her sort them.

Day 2- Seed day
Matthew 17- the mustard seed- found a mustard seed and played with it for a while.
Ordered seeds from smallest to largest without assistance and glued them in a line for the lap book.
Prayed for my friend Kaylyn's upcoming adoption from Africa and discussed her blog name- A Mustard Seed Journey. They have two girls close to my girl's ages so it was a great connection for them!
Read and looked at pictures from Ken Robbin's book, Seeds.

Day 3 Plant Garden!!
Looked at the pictures from the Carrot Seed- made pictures with three colors in the same style as that book.
Had cooked carrots for lunch.
Worked on calendar words and talked about how long we had to wait for our seeds to germinate and sprout.
Read The Tiny Seed- by Eric Carle
Painted a picture based on Ps. 1.

Day 4 - Started our "Chart the Growth of a Seed" book
Read The Bean by Anne Rockwell- great because we planted beans the day before!
Reading Lesson from Teach Your Child to Read....
Measured different sizes of seeds.- Introduced inch and cm.

Day 5- Worked on the poem for the lap book.
How a Seed Grows- Helene Jordan
Art rubbings from a Carrot
Assembled lap book.

The difference in the first three weeks of school is that I wasn't back to work yet. The fourth week we took off to visit with Aunt Kris and Uncle Aaron down from TN. So we were able to get in five days of instruction from me alone. Now, I teach her 3 days and my Mom and Jeff to Thursday and Friday respectively. We often scrap Wednesday and do school on Saturday instead. That requires a lot of planning and prep- let me tell you! But it's working well, and well worth it! As far as the school day goes, most of the time it goes something like this:

Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday's schedule: (except Jeff follows the plan on Friday while I work and on Saturday after school and snack, we go grocery shopping for the week ahead.)

Jeff and I wake up around 6:30ish and work out together. Usually the girls get up around then, but are not allowed out of their rooms until 7:00am. They play or read quietly until we are finished with our work out.

A little after 7 I get their breakfast started/on and I shower.
When breakfast is over, they put their dishes in the sink. Then they return to their rooms to get dressed (I lay out Addison's clothes, as she's not matching yet, but C has full reign of anything she can reach from her dresser (not her closet). They also pick up their rooms, make beds, turn off night lights, open blinds, etc.

7:30 to 8am is pick up the house and do dishes time. I normally throw in a load or two of laundry at this time.

We start school by 8. We are usually done by 10.

10:00-10:30 outside play- getting hot, we'll come inside around then for snack. As the weather gets cooler, we will stay out longer again.

10:30 is snack time. (Change laundry over)
The girls will play together until lunch time.

11:50 I start preparing lunch.

12:00 lunch time!!
After lunch I will read them a book from the Library. Sometimes I will put Addie down for naps early and do a reading lesson with C in her bedroom.

By 1:00 they are in bed for naps/quiet time. This usually lasts for 2.5 hours. (I fold laundry and stick in another load.)
When they wake up, it's snack time and we read more books, or sometimes they watch a movie. (Signing Time, Little House, Shirley Temple, etc.)

Around 4:30ish we go outside for a while.

If I start dinner at 5, we'll eat close to 6 and 7:00pm is bedtime! On Tuesday we eat at 5:00 and take baths so we can be at Kindermusik class. I've had them go in their p.j's so we just eat a quick snack, brush teeth and jump into bed after class.

And just to clarify, I don't LIVE by my watch. This rhythm is what our family usually does, and I just wrote it down so we don't get too far off track and so that we are wise managers of our time. If we decide to change the schedule, it's no big deal.

School

2011-09-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

This is called a catch-up post. The girls won't be home for a few more hours, so I'm going to catch you all up on what we've been doing over at the McLaughlin Academy for the last few weeks. For some reason pictures take FOREVER to load on here, and this post will be picture heavy, so we may have to do this in installments.

WEEK ONE: Blueberries For Sal week of Aug 1-5.

Day 1- Read blueberries for Sal, discuss getting lost rules/safety, math with blueberry manipulatives and metal buckets and also discussed differences in the bucket sound if empty or full, and made homemade blueberry muffins.

Day 2- Animal mothers, Animal classification Birds or Mammals, discussion/reading about partridges, bears and crows.
We cut out pictures of birds and mammals from magazines in preparation for assembling the lap book. But we had the most fun thinking of all kinds of animals and appropriately classifying them. =) My favorite moments came in the car and she saw an animal and correctly identified it's classification based on all of the qualifications. Or when she was reading a book in her room and yelled out to me, "Mom, mice are mammals too! And rats, and cats!"

Day 3- We began our Writers Have Choices list: they can make two stories in one. We made a craft with a mountain and two bears on either side of the hill. She colored a bear picture and then I cut it up making it into a puzzle for her to reassemble. We also worked on reviewing/memorizing our address.

Day 4- We watched some movies on uTube about Bears and read a bunch of books from the Library about black bears, brown bears and polar bears. Then we finished assembling the bird and mammal books for the lap book. Here's the finished product!
This is a poor picture, but it's a lower case/capital letter match up sheet covered in a sheet protector so she can do it over and over again.

The next three weeks will have to come later- this has taken 5 hours!

Gifts

2011-09-11T17:57:00.001-07:00

(Addison at Aunt Kris' baby shower)

341. Watching my wonderful husband officiate the wedding ceremony of his former youth group intern Eric and his lovely bride, Courtney tonight.
342. That my children have a wonderful G-Ma who could watch them so I could just be "the pastor's wife" tonight.
343. So glad that my children were not at the wedding- it was SO hot some people almost passed out. But it was still lovely.
344. The book for the week is Caps for Sale and I found a video recording of it in ASL at the school Library. That's called killing two birds with one stone- ASL practice AND Literature! =)
345. For headway in the arena of child discipline. I have much to learn, but I feel like we're on the right track!
346. For so many great ideas as Jeff begins his new role pastoring young adults and young marrieds.
347. Being in awe of this man that I married: this month already he has spoken at a college group at UCF (BCM), the Drive (the singles ministry), done a wedding, started 4 seminary classes, and next month he'll be the speaker at a college retreat, and speak a few more times at the Drive. Such exciting times! Pray for us in this busy season!
348. For a few hours without the girls to work on school planning and catch up on a few hair bow orders.

In the busyness of the last few weeks, I have gotten out of the habit of recording daily "thanks" for the blessings that have come from the hand of my heavenly Father. This habit of joyfully receiving gifts from the One who loves me and created me for His glory and turning back to thank Him has become something that feeds my soul. It connects me with Him in a deeply profound way- beyond my quickly numbered needs for the day and beyond the rote request of protection for those I love. It helps me pause and remember that my relationship with Him is just that- a relationship. He is constantly working everything for my good and His glory, and I, in some small tangible way acknowledge that and gratefully accept all that comes from His hand. Not just the obviously good gifts, but the hard gifts as well. Here are some recent hard gifts:

349. Having to leave my grocery cart full of food sitting inside the door at Walmart twice to go out to the car and discipline my two year old. Blessing? Having a two year old that finds safety in the fact that her Mama loves her enough to be consistent even at the expense of my convenience and pride, and hugs me long and hard to tell me so.
350. Having to turn around on the way to church today and arriving 30 minutes later than I anticipated. I don't know what rough edges in me needed smoothing out, or what He could have possibly been protecting us from, but I do know that the ride was far more pleasant when I surrendered to Him instead of holding on to my frustration.
351. Being convicted over the areas that we have slipped into bad habits in training our children and watching other people suffer because of my laziness. The gift? A renewed commitment and new plan that seems to be having a big impact on our children in a positive way!

Thank you Jesus for all that you give us. We open our hands to receive from You all that you have for us. Make us more like You.

(Caiden on her first canoe trip 8/11)

Blessings

2011-08-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

326. Feeling organized.
327. For rain every day for our garden
328. For a schedule that totally helps with my stress level!
329. For opportunities
330. For a lovely new teacher in my new classroom assignment for this year.
331. Kindermusik again!!! More on that later...
332. For the third comment in a week re: Caiden's copious vocabulary.
333. For new shoes
334. For some awesome school supplies from my Mom.
335. That my sister Kristin, husband Aaron, and daughter Eliana (still in utero) are in town for a few days!!
336. For some family time this week!
337. My baby brother is graduating from the Police Academy at the head of his class!
338. For sweet quotes from my children that make me smile.
339. For an outlet to record those quotes.
340. For some new info from my Neurology appt yesterday- trusting Jesus for the rest.

So...guess what? The Director of Kindermusik contacted me and asked if we would be participating this semester. I sent back a nice email thanking her for last semester and sharing with her how much the girls learned and enjoyed it and told her it wasn't in the budget for us this semester, but maybe after Christmas. And then....dun dun DUN...she said that she would be willing to scholarship us (baring the supplies fee) if we could fill in some spots in a class that wasn't very well attended and teach them some sign language in class. WHAT?! Are you kidding me?! Thank you JESUS! I'm doing a little dance over here right now! So exciting!

Some funny quotes this week: Addison was singing to herself a song she learned at Sunday School. It sounded like this:"The B-I-B-L-E, yes that's the book for me. I step up on the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E." =)

While I was sick and on the couch, Addison walked over with her baby and said, "Just close your eyes and 'hurlax' Mama. We will take care of you. But first, can you change my baby's poopy diaper?" Just for the record- when she gives birth to REAL grandbabies, SHE will be doing the majority of those diaper changes!! ;)

As for the Neuro appt, I feel like I'm still processing it. My appt lasted an hour and 45 minutes. I did get new information about my migraines and I did feel like I was heard. My last Neurologist told me he couldn't help me and to go to the ER when I had a severe migraine. After that I lost hope in what the medical field had to offer me. Yesterday my hope was renewed a little bit. Pray for Jeff and I as we pursue some suggestions he had and also as I undergo an MRI, and a two day EEG. If there's anything to be seen, it would be helpful for it to be found.

That's all for now folks!

Sick.

2011-08-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

'I cannot go to school today,'
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
'I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more-that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut-my eyes are blue-
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke-
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is-what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is...Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play! '

Unfortunately, it's not Saturday. And unfortunately I feel like I have as many maladies as Miss Peggy Ann McKay. The Doctor who saw me today diagnosed me with a sinus infection, tonsillitis, pink eye and bordering on an ear infection. She said I was an overachiever.

I'm a Mama to two little girls. I'm a homeschooling Mama to two little girls. I'm a homeschooling Mama to two little girls who committed to attending an interpreting class on Wednesday and to go back to work on Friday. I have a lot going on. I've looked at my manual several times and I've yet to find the code that gets me out of this. Parlay? Uncle? Mercy?

Okay. I'm finished whining. =) Now back to your regular scheduled programming.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. II Corinthians 12:9. =)

Thoughts

2011-08-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

I stayed home from church today because I have a killer sore throat and cold symptoms. I didn't want to "share the love" so I sent the girls with Jeff and I nursed a smoothie- the only thing nutritionally valuable that sounded good to me. Thankfully, our church has this really cool thing where you can tune in to a live feed and watch the service live as it's happening. We've been going through the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20 for the last few weeks, and today we were on number 4- "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy"...

I'm sitting on the back porch watching the rain come down and saturate our garden and listening to the squirrels duke it out over who is more thankful that the rain came to cool things off a little. Well, it sounds like they are anyway. Wow! An orange Tabby just came bounding across my back yard totally oblivious to my presence in hot pursuit of something tasty. I think we about scared the snot out of each other!

There are lines of green all over our raised garden bed today. It's amazing how fast that happened. It's been four days since planting.

Jeff and I both are eating up what Pastor David said today on God's design for the Sabbath. No, he's not home yet, but since Jeff was in on the planning meeting for this week's sermon (one of his favorite parts of his job) we've had the chance to mull over the topic this week. The main gist of the sermon today was that God gave us the Sabbath as a gift. He built it in to the rhythm of our bodies, our lives, our spirituality. The scripture itself addresses three aspects: work (abstain or cease from it for a time), rest (disconnect in order to RE-connect with those in relationship with you: family and friends), and finally, worship (this day was given as a gift of time for us to enter in to a meaningful, purposeful time of worship both individually and corporately) . So, come, sit down and dream with me for a second.

What if we took this command seriously and got creative with how we observe the Sabbath as a family and as a community of believers? What if we got into the rhythm of preparing on Saturday for Sunday and Monday? What if we met in homes, or parks for times of worship all across the city? What if family time was re-established and re-claimed? What if we began sharing meals together as the Body and spending time getting to know each other and encourage each other in our walks? What if we disconnected from texting, and Facebook, and email, and other social media and instead re-connected with our Creator and His creation? What if instead of observing the LAW of the Sabbath, it became a new way of life, reclaiming our innate rhythm and inviting our friends to join us as we live more healthy, happy lives , more in tune with Jesus, enjoying our families, connecting with and strengthening our brothers and sisters in Christ. If Sunday isn't your Sabbath, make it Saturday. If not Saturday, make it Wednesday. The point is, remember. Because you know, following Jesus' plan for our lives is the best possible way to live!

For more on what Pastor David had to say about the Sabbath, check back here for the podcast. You may have to wait for a few days so they can get it up and running.

Life with Littles

2011-08-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

Life with little ones is an adventure. I'm cherishing these days. Here's a peek.

I can't decide on quote of that day:

Caiden: "I like to eat my tears. If I'm hungry at nap time or bed time, I just stick my tongue up there and lick them. Problem solved."

You never know what is going to come out of her mouth. That statement was followed by questions about why her tears are salty, and what salt tastes like, and helps me to understand why she has perfected the art of waterworks at any given moment, and her fascination with watching herself cry. She also uses words like "thrilling" and "dazzling" and classifies animals into mammal or birds correctly 98% of the time.

Or Addison's response to my silly question,
"Why did you hit your sister? "
"For no good reason."

She usually doesn't hit unless provoked, which I have caught her big sister doing a few times lately just to watch Addison get in trouble. But, sometimes she does it just to get attention. Or for this... She loves puzzles still, reading books, and singing everything and anything. She joins us for school time and often reminds us that it's time for "reading lesson" which she is fascinated by and totally digs it when her sister decodes those letters on a page. She continues to be quite the comedian and often causes her sister and I to laugh out loud.

And no, our days are not all rainbows and roses. We are struggling hard core with disrespect and disobedience. It's not called child-training for nothing. We are all learning and growing together by God's grace smothered in a lot of prayer.

(We took these pics for Jeff for Father's Day. My Mom did a good job!)

Happy Birthday G-Ma

2011-08-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to an amazing G-ma, wonderful beyond compare Mother in Love, creative educator and most generous woman! I could go on, but I don't want to embarrass her. We are incredibly blessed to be in your family! We love you!!!

In other news, we will be starting our first day with a real, regimented schedule! Trying to find a way to get more done in a day. It began with this girl going to bed at 10 (gasp!) last night and awaking at 6 with Jeff to work out. Heeerrreee, weeee goooo!!!

Loving like Christ

2011-08-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

"When I don’t live love, others live homeless. When I don’t love like Christ, I evict souls."

I've been ruminating on this quote from Ann Voskamp. It rings true as I stand in line at the grocery store, as I correct and discipline my children, as I endure continued migraine pain and carry on with all the responsibilities of motherhood. Where does it meet you today?

Ann Voskamp is the same Mama of 6, farmer's wife, and lover of Jesus who challenged the readers of her blog and more recently the readers of her book, One Thousand Gifts, to daily keep a journal documenting all of the good gifts that God gives us (and that we rarely even notice and rarely still thank God for). The premise is that our good God gives good gifts to His children. If we are not in the practice of thanking God for the good things, how are we to be thankful in the midst of circumstances that we don't fully understand?

I have been really consistent at keeping up with my list of gifts, but it's been a while since I posted some on here. May my own (very personal) list bring to mind all of the gifts in your own life and motivate you to thank your loving Father. I left off at number 300 on here...

301. For sweet moments singing This Little Light of Mine with C tonight before bed. What a wonderful feeling knowing that she drifted off to sleep with a full cup!
302. That Jeff is back home after 4 days away at FBO's children's camp.
303. That I didn't have one migraine while he was away!
304. For a time to laugh at a parenting mistake with my siblings. Sometimes you have to have grace with yourself and move on.
305. For a John Wayne movie with my hubby tonight.
306. That A. was not hurt when she pulled her dresser over on top of herself today and effectively scared the snot out of me.
307. We have grass on the side of our house for the first time since we moved in!
308. That Jeff was able to lead a little girl to Jesus at camp!!!
309. C. read Hop on Pop to as many people at my parent's house the other night as she could manage. Thankful for such patience and love from her aunts and uncles (and Jphnny too!)- that book is LONG.
310. Looking forward to a date with my hubby tomorrow!
311. For an unexpected check for a training at school when I was only expecting comp time.
312. For our first week of Kindergarden work coming to a close. We studied Blueberries with Sal with Before Five in A Row.
313. For our first lapbook completed today!
314. For a few bow orders that will cover our field trip to the Safety Village with our old homeschool co-op. (We are not participating in it this year.)
315. For duck and raccoon families, a turtle and various butterflies that have found their way into our yard in the last week.
316. Watching A snuggle with her Daddy before bed. Sweetness!
317. The joy that comes from contentment with following an old Pioneer proverb- "Fix it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
318. For so many answers to prayer.
319. For an answer to C's prayer that she really understands.
320. Listening to A. recite a poem that we learned at Kindermusik (thanks again Big Grandma and Big Grandpa!)
321. For the chance to share my love and knowledge of childbirth with a friend- I hope I didn't scare her away with my excitement and passion!
322. For colorful cloth diapers hanging up to dry. (we are using cloth during the day and "sposies" at night and on Sundays when we are typically away from home all day.
323. That those diapers still fit her even though this child is now in size 4 disposable diapers!
324. That I got to meet the teacher I am working with this year (still working part time as an Interpreter of the Deaf at an elementary school )- knowing this early where I am working is a first for me!
325. Learning to trust Jesus with all of the things that are on the "lists" in my head and that try and keep me up at night.

Okay, it's bed time. Tomorrow, may you live a life of love that welcomes the world in from the cold and may the reality of His love compel them to stay a while! Good night!

Catch up!

2011-08-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Say you pulled up to my house after a long separation, I welcome you into my home, serve you some ice water and invite you to curl up on my couch with me to catch up on all the happenings of the McLaughlin family over the last few months. We have been busy, and our conversation bounces from one topic to the next fluidly, effortlessly, as old friendships do.

What have we been up to? Wow, where to start? Yes, before I get started, I DO love my real wood flooring. I love what it does for our home, I love how much healthier I feel, knowing I can SEE any dirt or dust that we gather as we live our lives in and out of this house. It is easy to care for, but it does demand attention on a daily basis. I love how I can hear Addison's flat feet running around on it. I love how Caiden dons socks for the sole purpose of spinning and twirling "just like a ballerina". Yes, I do highly recommend it and learning to lay it yourself is well worth the time in the money it will save you!

Hey, check out this tent some friends gave us! Yes, it's only for inside. The girls like reading in it. Isn't it fun? They gave us a Gymboree parachute too. We haven't played with that yet, but there are so many options for learning with that thing. It's amazing how God provides. You know, our income is the lowest it's been in our married life, but there is absolutely no shortage of surprises, and gifts of things that we don't NEED. God is so good, providing for us even beyond our needs, and according to His riches and Glory! Remind me to tell you about Caiden's answer to prayer later...

So, I guess the biggest change has been our new church. As you know, Jeff began a new job at First Baptist Orlando in May. We are super thrilled to be a part of this church and are so excited about where they are headed as a community of believers. You've probably heard about the 5.6 million the members pledged for Love Orlando- the ministry to Orlando's "new homeless". Jeff is getting to be a part of assisting a team of people creating protocol and procedures and establishing teams to work with different aspects of this ministry. He is also working some with singles, and young marrieds. Needless to say he is BUSY during the work week, but we are enjoying seeing him more than in recent years. In fact, I told him the other day that I SO needed this reprieve. His presence the last few months has been healing to my soul. The past four years I have often played a single parent as he pastored an amazing group of youth in Winter Park, but it has been exhausting. So, amazingly enough, our time so far at this very large church has been refreshing and reviving to our souls.

All of that to say, this transition has not been without bumps and bruises along the way. We really struggled the first month or more of our time there. Jeff was struggling to find a place and discern what his role would be- there was so much that he could do! But we had also come straight from our last church where we had served and "done life" over the last 7 years. In retrospect, we should have taken a little time off in between job. I think we experienced a bit of a mourning period. All of our lives were wrapped up in that church, our friends, and "family" over the last 7 years. They were (and in some ways, still are) an amazing support base. Our family!! We had only been married about a year and half when we started at All Saints, and we brought two children into the world there, and to suddenly find yourself in a different, larger pond where you are both unknown and don't know anyone yourselves, it was a bit of a transition to say the least. =) Things are in a much better place these days, and we are learning SO MUCH. If I even attempted to share all of those details they could fill multiple posts! Glory to God!

We started school with Caiden on Monday! We are loving it! We have decided to use Five in A Row which is a literature based unit study curriculum along with continuing our Teach a Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, and supplemental Math work. Remind me and I will share with you our first unit based on Blueberries for Sal by McCloskey.

Wow, look! There's a Mama raccoon and her three babies crossing our backyard! Two days ago there was a Mama duck and her passel of duckling playing around back there. They were so cute and fluffy and all so close together I couldn't count how many there were. Well, we can add that to our list of wildlife that we've seen actually IN our backyard: bears (often), owls, snakes, ducks, wild turkeys, raccoons, hawks, armadillo....hmm, I guess that's all. At least that's all I can think of at the moment.

Anyway, so. How are YOU?? Seriously, I'm inviting you to share your heart with me. How are you doing? What is God teaching you? What is a fun thing your family has done this summer? How can I pray for you? We have all the time in the world....

A Poet

2011-03-17T19:40:00.001-07:00

(Taken another morning)

Before the sun awoke, the birds and I began our day- I more bleary eyed than they sounded. I began my morning alone, fully aware of my promise, but postponing our routine for a few moments so I could be more present and alert. I pushed against the exhaustion after a long night with Addison and then I heard her. Wild, desperate, afraid, "MAMA!" Caiden, trying to separate dream from reality, she called, fearful I had forgotten my word and left without waking her. Rushing into her room, I barely hit my knees before she had jumped into my arms. Tears fell and soaked warm into my sweater. It was all a bad dream. She clung to me- Mother and Daughter finding comfort in each other's arms. And then without an explanation, she disentangled herself and disappeared. She returned with Ballerina Rabbit in hand (the muse for her first and only book), her notebook and a pencil. I brushed my hair and she untangled her emotions. Cross legged on the bathroom floor, she worked hard bending over her paper, eyes squinty, lips pursed. "Mama, how do you spell worried?" As I ordered the letters, she scratched them out on the page. "How do you spell Pirates?" My curiosity piqued, I leaned over, but she guarded her words. They were not yet ready to be shared. When the finishing touches where put onto some illustrations, she shared her heart. So vulnerable.

"Sad Caiden
Not Saf(e)
Worried
Pirates
Wok(e) up
Loved"

(Parentheses show letters she omitted. Can you tell we've been reading a lot of poetry lately? =))

A Gift. Every moment.

On the days I work, Caiden and I have a routine. I go in, climb into her bottom bunk with her to snuggle for a few minutes. Then she follows me into the bathroom where I turn off the light and turn on the lamp to soften the harshness of the morning. While I straighten, brush, and make myself presentable, we talk. Every night before comes the same entreaty, "Wake me up before you leave Mama. Let me watch you get ready. I want to spend time with you before you leave Mama. Promise?" And every night before, I promise and I shake her hand making a deal. I am not a morning person. But I am a person my daughter loves. May she wake up every morning just as she awoke today- Loved.

This is the Life!

2011-02-21T10:25:00.001-08:00

It is a beautifully quiet day. Days like today are ones I hold close to my heart, tucked away to be enjoyed and savored for always. The girls climbed into bed with me to greet the morning, all snuggles and giggles. They tumbled out into the living room to play as I made eggs and blueberry muffins from scratch. They didn't mind waiting. It was a beautiful daybreak. Sheer curtains billowed and swayed and our neighboring birds welcomed us to the enjoying of it. They danced in the dew while I baked. The girls and I discussed the schedule for the day and when Caiden learned that we were staying home to enjoy each other all day today you would have thought I had announced a trip to Disney. =)

When breakfast had been thoroughly enjoyed, we painted the morning away. While Caiden worked on a paint by number masterpiece, Addison and I made handprint pictures. I kept coming up with other shapes to try because there was something intoxicating about painting those chubby little fingers and pressing them onto the paper to record their precious shape forever. It was surprising how long she stayed focused on that activity. While we were working, we talked about what God created our hands for. "Our hands are not for hitting or grabbing, but for loving and helping." Caiden wanted to know how her hands were loving or helping while she was painting, so we decided that she could love by painting pictures to share with her family. Both sets of Grandparents will be receiving one of these loving creations in the mail. =)

Then back outside to dance in the middle of a leaf storm. So magical. They played and danced and explored while I concocted a fun treat for their lunch picnic. See?

Almond butter and honey sandwiches, banana, peas and apple slices for those who are curious. =)

And then down for a well earned nap while I do lots of laundry! Hi ho, hi ho, it' s off to work I go!

Heart work

2011-02-09T12:16:00.000-08:00

I picked up the girls from my Mom's today after work. We were busy sharing all that God has been doing in our lives. Naps were running late. Addison fell asleep in the car and transferred to her bed seamlessly. Caiden hemmed, hawed, stalled and moved s...l...o...w...l...y. Everything I asked of her, she did the opposite. She proclaimed that a nap was not going to happen. I finally placed her in bed myself. She glared at me and when she finally laid down, she kicked off her blanket every time I tucked her in.

"Caiden, I will place this blanket on you one last time and I am leaving so you can sleep. If you choose to kick it off, I will not cover you again, and I will not stay and argue with you. What is your choice?"

Her angry eyes and silence spoke volumes. Such a war going on in her little heart. I smiled at her sadly.

"Your behavior is making Mama sad. All day at work I was excited to come home to you, but you are treating me so unkindly. I hope your naps helps you make better choices and that we can share a happy afternoon."

Kick. Off flies the blanket and her foot makes contact with my cheek. That was unintended, but she kept up the fascade. No repentance. I walked to the door, looked back and said deliberately- because she needed to hear it- "Mama loves you, Caiden."

Ten minutes pass, 15 minutes. All of the odds and ends of a morning away from home are put back into their place. 20 minutes pass. A load of pint-sized laundry goes in the washer and I pray for my little girl. As I sit down to check my email and enjoy a few minutes of rest I hear a wail coming from the end of the hallway. My heart sinks. I had so hoped this wrestling match was over. I run to her to make sure she is unhurt. Her face is red and contorted in pain. She is laying in bed, doubled over a broken heart. I may never forget the look on her face. She was vulnerable, surprised, relieved, sorry. Her arms reached out to her Mama and she squeaks out,

" I feel sorry for how I hurt you Mama. I'm so sorry I was unkind to you. "

I lifted her into my arms and her tiny little arms and legs wrap around me desperately trying to make me see her heart. She kisses me and I taste salt. I kiss it away her tears and thank the Holy Spirit for His work. "Caiden, you know I always love you- to Mars and back. (because we just studied Mars and she knows it would take me a year for that journey) She lets out a long breath and laughs with freedom and love. "I know Mama," she smiles. Quietly we talk about the Holy Spirit pulling on her heart, making it softer and helping her to be sweet. Joyfully I tuck her in and kiss her face. "Jesus is making your heart beautiful Caiden." Her smile is radiant. So is mine.

Mama!

2011-02-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

"MAMA!" Her voice rings out from the silence. Loud. Strong. Clear. My hear lurches inside of me and pounds fast in my ears. Suddenly I become that person again and not just the wife putting her nest back together. "MAMA!"- more urgently this time. Patience does not come naturally to this one. Does it ever come naturally? I wonder. I run down the tile hallway in my stocking feet, slowing as I turn the corner so I do not slip. Slowly I open the door eager to see what I will find. There she is, standing expectantly in her crib, watching for me. Her hair is wild with damp ringlets, her cheeks flushed. "I'm awake!" She announces. I never take this for granted. I am thankful for every "I'm awake". I rush to her and pull her close to me. Sometimes if I arrive in time, I can steal a few minutes of snuggling from her busy day. I am not late. She melts into me and I relax into the glider in her room. How many hours have I spent in this chair! For a few minutes, neither of us speak. Her hand slides up my arm and intertwines itself into my hair. This familiar ritual of comfort. I bury my face in her goose down curls. How is it possible that her hair is still this soft? For a moment I remember how it felt to still be one-she and I. When she was her own person, but such a part of me- hidden from the world, but not to me. Now, in our own way, it is still true. Her chest expands and pushes into mine. So much of my heart now resides on the outside of me. I marvel at this truth. She stirs, and I am not yet ready to let go. I drag my fingers up and down her back, luring her back into my embrace for a few minutes longer. She succumbs for a few more minutes. Finally she pulls away, "I want to play with Mr. Potato Head out there." All of her sentences are stated with such certainty. It will be two years on Friday and already she is so independent. So I purpose to hold these moments close to my heart, all wrapped up in joy and thankfulness.

Oh MY

2011-01-20T20:29:00.000-08:00

I am overwhelmed. Truly. God has been up to some crazy, insane, out of this world stuff around here. I can't tell you about it yet, but I will when the time is right. Oh, I will!

I am overwhelmed with how amazing it's been to be back to reading God's word on a daily basis and memorizing Scripture again. Good stuff.

I am overwhelmed that our wooden (new, gorgeous, lots of work, yes I am proud we are laying them ourselves, real wood) floors are not done yet, furniture has yet to be put back in place, and we will have a party here in a little over one day.

I am amazed that our girls will be celebrating their 4th and 2nd birthdays on Saturday.

I am continually floored by the amazing support system we have here in our families. Tomorrow my parents will come over to help finish the floors, clean and prepare for the party. Dez will take the girls to the park in the morning. My Mom on a whim handed me dinner for tonight so I didn't have to make it after a long day at work and much to do here. We have been to lunch after church two weeks in a row with the McLaughlins- such a precious time that we treasure. The girls are practically fully clothed and shoed (what, you didn't know you could shoe a child? Well, what else would you call it? I'm up for suggestions! =) thanks to G-Ma. Our every need is met thanks to the grace of God. Thank you Jesus!!! (And our families too!)

Amazingly I found money in the diaper bag and no one knows why it was there or how it got there.

Surprisingly work has been much improved the last two weeks or so. Thank you Jesus!!

With much relief I can report that the girls are finally almost completely symptom free after a bout of illness that began at Thanksgiving- Addison still coughs occasionally.

Amazingly, I am still sick. When someone can make a Mom-substitute that can take over seamlessly and without invoking guilt so a sick Mama can sleep for a few days straight, please let me know. I could use one. But I would settle for prayers for healing! =)

Off to bed with a full, thankful and overwhelmed heart~
What are you thankful for this week? (Here are a few more I didn't mention...)

A Collage

2010-11-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

I don't have a lot of time these days. Between our intentional learning and the holiday busyness of LoopDeLoop bows and migraines =( I haven't had time to post. I'm hoping this smattering of tidbits will help.

At work, the classroom is learning about acrostic poems. They began by using their names and using words that described their personalities in the poem. Here are some that fit my girls at this stage. (I had to use "Addie" even though we don't call her that- though some people do and we don't mind, because I really needed an E in order to describe her appropriately. You will see...)

CAIDEN

C creative, cute, cautious
A attached to her blanket, artist
I inquisitive, insightful
D delightful, doting on little sister
E eager and energetic, emotional
N nap lover

ADDISON

A adorable, adventurous
D "downwalk", darling, duck lover
D DARING, determined
I inventive, incognito (always dressing up or hiding)
E eating....eating....eating

Because she's not nursing so much these days, Daddy has been taking advantage of bedtime snuggles. This night I found them sound asleep in each other's arms. It was too cute not to capture it.

We do not celebrate Halloween, but this year Caiden got to dress up for Cubbie's Fall festival at my parent's church. At first I thought it was a family thing, so I bought fairy wings for Addison at a consignment shop for $3. She didn't get to go after all, but she was too cute in her little fairy costume. Mom convinced me to let them go visit their close neighbors Leigh and Barb so they ended up getting a little candy after all. Aren't they so cute? =)

I am really praying about how to juggle Mama-hood and my growing hair bow business, learning and little kid play time, discipline with the girls and grace, family time and a clean house. Thanks for your love and interest in our family and your patience with my silence these days. =) Hopefully I'll have more time next week! Until then...

Autumn

2010-10-07T18:52:00.000-07:00

So, I'm slacking. My apologies. Life happened. I should be sleeping now. But instead I am blogging. Go figure. My justification? One less thing on my to-do list will make sleep come easier....whatever, it sounds good. ;)

I will lay out this format differently. I will post according to what we actually DID for the last few weeks instead of our exhaustive list of options. Maybe it will be easier to follow? Let me know.

We have been studying the seasons and specifically Autumn for the last two weeks. Here is how we have done it. Oh, and fyi- we "do school" four days a week because one day a week the girls go and stay with our good friend Jill, so no school for C that day.

Day One:
Bible/ Cubbies
Teach You Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (TYCTR..)
Science: Plant more in the garden, talk about and handle seeds.
Math: Gather acorns, leaves, seeds, etc. Sort by color, size, order by smallest to largest.
Art: Make an autumn wreath with gathered foliage.
Literature: 1. Seasons 2. Have You Seen Trees?

Day Two:
Bible/Cubbies
TYCTR...(Reading)
Science: Discuss compost pile, soil, nutrients for plants, etc. Water garden, check for last week's sprouts.
Math: Make zucchini bread. Measure, look at recipe and read amounts. Discuss measurements. Talk about liquid changing to solids, set oven and timer.
Art: Paint 1/2 a tree on folded paper and fold over and discuss symmetry.
Literature: When Autumn Comes, What Happens in Fall?

Day Three:Leaf Day
Bible/ Cubbies
Reading: Bob books
Science: Fall leaf/bark rubbings. Discuss texture.
Math: Leaf classification bar graph. Glue leaves into graph- practice reading it.
Art: Make leaf rubbings into a book.
Literature: Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf; Autumn Leaves; The Little Yellow Leaf
Poetry: The leaves are falling down, the leaves are falling down. Red, yellow, green and brown, The leaves are falling down.

Day Four: Tree Day
Bible: review all memorized Cubbies verses
TYCTR...
Science: Another nature walk in the park- gather fall foliage, get some specifically fall veggies at the store- scrutinize with a magnifying glass. Guess at texture, Use vocabulary to describe texture.
Math: practice counting. Match patterns with wooden beads. String the beads for fine motor practice.
Art: Torn paper Autumn leaf tree- paint the trunk, tear small pieces of red, orange, yellow and brown paper for leaves.
Literature: Alphabet Tree; Someday a Tree; Tell me, Tree.
Poetry: Red and yellow, green and brown, Leaves are falling to the ground. We pile them OH SO HIGH, Then we jump in them, my sis and I.

Day Five: Pumpkin Day
Bible/Cubbies
TYCTR...
Science: weigh and dissect pumpkin. Talk about scent, color, texture, seeds. Cook, roast seeds, talk about how it changed after cooking.
Math: count seeds. Weigh pumpkin before and after de-seeding. Which is heavier?
Art: Pumpkin prints painting fingers
Literature: Pumpkin, Pumpkin; The Pumpkin Book

Day 6: Nuts and Seeds Day
Bible,
Reading
Science: Talk about where seeds come from, being food for birds and humans, Make a pinecone bird feeder. Dissect an acorn.
Math: Roll dice. Match acorns with the dots on the dice. Count. Roll two die- and practice addition.
Art: Prints with acorns and paint.
Literature: From Seed to Plant; The Nature and Science of Seeds; A Seed is Sleepy

Day 7: Apple Day
Bible
Reading
Science: compare/contrast two different apples (size, color, shape, taste, seed number, stem, leaves, etc) Use a Venn Diagram.
Math- Make baked apples for snack. Make an apple lacing card. Color appropriately, cut out, hole punch.
Art: Apple Tree made with thumb prints.
Literature: The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree; Apples and Pimpkins; Johnny Appleseed; Apples; The Apple Pie Papa Baked.
Apple Hide and Seek- no touching or pointing- must describe using prepositions.

Day 8: Harvest Day
Bible
Reading
Science: Discuss the life cycle of a vegetable plant- seed to harvest.
Math- Weigh our eggplant harvest. Order by size. Practice counting. Simple addition with garden related word problems.
Art: Make a picture using the harvest/scarecrow stickers.
Literature: Harvest; A Scarecrow's Hat

There were probably other things that we have done that I didn't write in my planner, and that I'm not recalling now. However, I am falling asleep and need to finish preparing for work tomorrow. Thanks for walking this journey with us!!

More gifts

2010-09-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

I have a full heart today, so I thought I'd share.

285. for our little homeschool co-op group. We meet once a week in someone's home and do group activities. SO fun! This is really the first opportunity Caiden has had to be with children her own age on a consistent basis. She doesn't really have any little friends her own age since Iain (and of course Cory) Brannon moved to GA a while back. (we miss you guys!)

286. What a blessing to watch her make friends, and practice being a sweet friend.

287. Watching her choose to leave her friends to check in on her VERY independent sister. How sweet!

288. The music of Addison running through the house squealing, singing and yelling "FRIENDS"- before the group came to our house today.

289. That my migraine went away during the meeting.

290. For a good friend who has helped us during our diaper fiasco. (All of Caiden's old cloth diapers that Addison has been using have suddenly fallen apart leaving us to very quickly decide what to do for the (hopefully short) remainder of Addison's diapering days.

291. That this weekend was a much needed escape from some difficult happenings at work.

292. For some super fun times learning about our five senses.

293. For my children's amazing Grandparents on both sides. I am a richly blessed woman!

294. For time for the girls to play with their cousins a little more often than "the norm". Such sweetness!

295. For a clean home!

296. For lots of yummy food options in the pantry and freezer for the week ahead.

297. For the day to snuggle Caiden's neck, to breathe in my Addison, to prepare for my work week in peace.

298. On Thursday it looks like we will own our first new items of furniture- a couch, love seat and chair! It probably won't be delivered for a few weeks, but I'm almost giddy I'm so excited!!! Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa McLaughlin!!!!! =D

299. For a lovely day to play at the park

300. I am in awe of my baby- she is so independent and adventurous. She climbed the "big kid" playground today over and over again. She got "stuck" on a big step once, but I was watching as close as she would let me and rescued her. That didn't stop her from trying it again. Gosh, I love that kid!

Okay, children are up from naps, so my blogging time is over. Thanks for sharing in my joy!

Unit Two: Exploring with Our Senses

2010-09-07T14:55:00.000-07:00

My constant reminder...Excite, Examine, Expand, Excel! =)

Concepts for this unit:

*Auditory Development:
Environmental sounds, sources of sounds, classify sounds according to theme (animal, instruments, machines, ect).
Repeating sounds/rhythms. Identifying words that rhyme in both initial and final positions.
Come up with our own funny rhymes!

*Memory:
Repeat tapping/rhythms, repeat poems.
Continue with memory verses.

*Visual Discrimination:
Identify and complete missing pieces of a picture.
Talk about Braille.

*Motor and Sensory Development:
Follow oral/auditory directions using prepositions.
Differentiate between hot, warm, cool and cold.
Touch and match what you feel.
Identify moods by facial expressions.

*Vocab:
Senses, receptors, sound waves, touch, taste, smell. Opposites:smooth, rough, bumpy, soft, hard, prickly, fluffy, sticky,
slippery, sour, sweet, salty, shiny, dull. Lastly, "explore", "classify", and names for emotions.

*Math:
Distinguish between more/less, greater/smaller; match equivalent groups by sight- checking “hypothesis” by counting;
Learn to use and read a ruler.
Match shapes with real life objects with the same shape.
Simple addition with and without manipulatives.

Science:
Dissect a flower, (touch, see, smell)
Classification: of sounds, smells, tastes, shapes and sizes.

Note: I got these curriculum goals from an old Elementary Grade Curriculum Continuums Notebook- the Sunshine State Standards of homeschooling ages ago. ;)

Songs:
Do Your Ears Hang Low?
My Five Senses (Where is Thumbkin)
The 5 Senses Song http://www.mrsjonesroom.com/songs/senses.html
Other songs/poems http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/fivesenses/songs.htm
Sing a Song of Senses- http://blogs.jocolibrary.org/corinthtoddlertime/2010/04/20/my-5-senses-preschool-storytime/ (half way down the page)

Field Trips:
Musical field trip?? *Beach (touch, smell, taste, hear and see!)
*Art Museum *Leu Gardens- visit with a camera and a magnifying glass

Games/Activities:
*Duck Duck Goose *What’s in the Sock? *What’s This Scent? *Animal Sounds Guess Who

*Nature Listening Walk *Dance with bells on an anklet *Flashlight tag *Red Light Green Light

*Simon Says *Use a magnifying glass on a nature walk.

*Lacing cards blindfolded *Make a texture book

*Book of “My Favorites” (things to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel)- child illustrated

*Whistle Game *I Spy *Stress relieving massage, managing emotions

*Practice showing emotions, giving language to emotions and role playing how to calm down.

Crafts:
*Torn paper art collage *Make binoculars

*Make colored bubbles *Playdough with pumpkin pie seasoning

*Colored pasta necklace- patterning

*Make instruments (beans, rice, acorns, sticks on a pie plate) and use them!

*Fingerprint art *Paint with Clouds *Shaving Cream art

*Stencils to trace *Texture stencils for rubbings

*Leaf/bark rubbings *Pudding finger paint/snack =)

Snacks:
*Popcorn (before= touch, during=sounds, after-smell
*What’s for snack? (Use a blindfold and guess with your nose!)

Literature:
Charles Shaw- It Looked Like Spilled Milk
Tana Hoban- Is It Rough, Is It Smooth Is It Shiny?
Paul Showers- Find Out By Touching
Harriet Ziefert- You Can’t Taste a Pickle With Your Ear
Ray Broekel- Your Five Senses
Paul Showers- The Listening Walk
Aliki- My Hands
Margaret Miller- My Five Senses
Tana Hoban- Count and See
Tana Hoban- More, Fewer, Less
Eric Carle- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Barnyard Dance- good for listening to the rhythm
Aliki- My Five Senses
Learning Ladders- My Body
Find Out by Touching- Paul Showers
Count and See- Tana Hoban
You Can’t Taste A Pickle with Your Ear- Harriet Ziefert
Your Five Senses- Broekel
My Five Senses- Aliki
My Five Senses- Margaret Miller
The Listening Walk- Paul Showers
My Body- Learning Ladders

I'm hurting on the Literature side, but we're reading lots of other books, and I figure we're using our senses to enjoy them, regardless of what topic they cover, so we're okay. =)

I'm also looking for a Discovery Toys representative as I have three school related toys I really want to get the girls for Christmas. I will include them so I don't forget. There's so much on my brain these days, it will likely happen.
1. Playful Patterns
2. Measure Up Balance
3. Giant Pegboard/Geo board

First Day of School!

2010-08-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

There are many philosophies of learning. This, I know. However, I needed one I could remember as I made my lesson plans and mapped out where we were going- often as I was doing other things throughout my day. =) You know how it is. Simplicity is important for a Mama like me trying to juggle so many balls at one time. This one fit the bill: Excite, Examine, Expand, Excel.

The theory? Develop excitement for learning about this topic. Create an interest, discuss what they already know, what they want to learn. Use mindmapping, brainstorming, watching a video, making lists, looking at pictures, taking field trips.

So, for our first day of preschool homeschool we took a trip to the Science Center. Nothing like a good field trip to create an interest! They had a room dedicated to transportation (our first unit study on the docket) for pint sized learners. It was great. I love hands on learning! =) Here are some pics of the day. I wish I had gotten some of her doing some table work, but I was the one working with her then, so- no pictures. ;) Even Daddy took the day off to explore with us! Yeah for Daddy!!!

They had wooden miniature models of an airplane, a train, a space shuttle, a train table, small cars to ride in, a race car where you can replace the wheels and "gas up", lots of books, puzzles, and posters.

Here our big school girl is trying her hand at being a pilot. She may be better suited to being Peter Pan...

I have to say, this train was pretty cool. It came complete with a hand crank on the outside replicating the engine that made it sound like it was really rumbling down the track.

Conductor Caiden! All Aboard!

There were all kinds of gears and levers and bells and whistles (literally!) in there. What a cool learning tool!

Addison really loved the train table. She spent most of her time stalking the boy who was hogging the engine. =) Finally he gave her a turn and she said with a huge toothy grin, "so 'cited!" I mean, seriously? I just want to eat her. The whole time I'm coaching her to "wait your turn, be patient, be sweet...but what I really want to say is, "Move over greedy little boy, my little girl is enamored with the train table and she just wants a turn!" =)

Two weeks later, we are almost at the end of our unit study. We have discussed shapes, signs and symbols. We have said rhymes and sung songs. We have read more than 50 books related to transportation, shapes, signs and symbols.We have manipulated shapes to make pictures. We have worked on patterning, ordering by size, sorting by shape and color and means of transport (water, air, road). She has memorized her address, and learned to write her name. We have practiced using our body as a means of transportation and practiced with an obstacle course. We have made traffic sign and signals and used them. She knows when, why and how to dial 911 in the case of emergencies. She is beginning to ask questions and learn how we find the answers about the world around her. She is practicing the things she has learned in her free play time. All of this without much "table time" at all! Just what I was aiming for! This home schooling thing is pretty amazing. It's not going to be easy, but I think we're going to like it.

Tomorrow we will be meeting with a small group of other homeschooling parents whose children are also preschool age for some group learning. We will meet once a week during the morning hours and I will be hosting/leading a group session twice a quarter. We also will be scheduling group field trips we will have the opportunity to take part in as desired. I am excited about this opportunity as she doesn't have much access to friends her own age. (Her "friends" are youth group kids, her sister, her aunts and cousins who we don't see nearly as often as we should.) We're excited! Thanks for sharing in our journey!

Pigtails!

2010-08-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

What could be cuter

than a toothy smile

from a little girl

with pigtails for the first time? ....I don't know either! =D

One Unit Study Down!

2010-07-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

So. I have started planning out our calendar for Caiden's schooling next year. Here is what we are doing:
*Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons for Reading- also practicing the letters they introduce in sand, rice, on paper, in paint, water and paintbrush on the sidewalk, making words with foam letters in the bathtub, etc.
* Rod and Staff's Bible Curriculum with Coloring book supplemented with our new Preschool Bible.
* Unit Studies for Math, Literature, and Science

The first unit study we will be doing is on transportation. First we will be visiting the Orlando Science Center (and you can bet we'll be asking for memberships to this place for Christmas this year because it's such a great hands-on resource!) in order to create an interest about all things transportation. Their second floor is dedicated to transportation preschool-style: just their size! I can't wait!

Next we'll be visiting the Library and gathering all of our literature resources.

Here's my outline:

Concepts to Introduce:
*Traffic Signs and Shapes
*Transportation vocab: Conductor, Pilot,Captain, caution, R/R crossing, turn signal, address, right lane, left lane, sidewalk,
runway, train tracks, train station, marina, train related vocab, and any vocab from literature.
*Colors related to transportation signs
* Beginning to memorize her address and phone number
*Distance vocab/concepts: means of transportation for various distances.
*Methods of transportation on our own: walk, run, jump, hop, skip, walk backwards (sideways) tip toes, climb, slide, swim, swing.

Poems
Lonely Bus Driver   One lonely bus driver all alone and blue  
He picked up a passenger and then there were two.  
Two people riding, they stopped by a tree   They picked up a passenger, and then there were three.  
Three people riding, they stopped by a store   They picked up a passenger, and then there were four.
  Four people riding, happy and alive,   They picked up a passenger, and then there were five.  
Five people riding open swung the door   Four passengers got off the bus,  
The driver's alone once more.

Trains
This is a choo-choo train (bend arm at elbow)
Puffing down the track. (rotate arms in rhythm)
Now it's going forward,
Now it's going back.(push arms in appropriate directions; continue rotating motion)
Now the bell is ringing, (pull bell cord)
Now the whistle blows (make sound)
What a lot of noise it makes Everywhere it goes!(cover ears)

Taking Off - Mary McB.Green
The airplane taxis down the field
And heads into the breeze
It lifts its wheels above the ground
Skims above the trees
It rises high and higher
Away up toward the sun
It’s just a speck against the sky
...and now it’s gone!

Down By the Station... Down by the station (down by the station) Early in the morning (early in the morning) See the little pufferbellies (see the little pufferbellies) All in a row (all in a row) See the station master (see the station master) Turn the little handle (turn the little handle) Puff, puff, toot, toot (puff, puff, toot, toot) Off we go! (off we go!)

Songs:
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Wheels on the Bus

Crafts
*Origami boats/ airplanes *Make train, boat, etc with construction paper shapes (pre-cut)
*Large Boxes- paint, decorate to make trains, boats, airplanes, buses, etc.
*Egg Carton bus *Clothes Pin Airplane
*Floating boat

Activities:
*Red Light, Green Light *Transportation Puzzles
*Block runway/tracks/road *Order trucks from smallest to largest
*Mother May I? (Option #1: crawl, jump, hop, step (front, back,side, big, small), run, skip etc. Option #2: “Mother May I move the bear?”- use prepositions- under, over, in, out, beside, on, off,
*Dot to Dot *Lacing cards- home made or transportation cards from G-Ma
*Bicycling *Sand table with cars
*Obstacle course runway for children: crawl in the tunnel, run, step through a ladder on the ground, jump, climb stairs, slide,
*Sidewalk chalk road with traffic signs: travel by foot, bike, wagon, or skateboard
*Geo Boards- Shapes, then move to boat, bus, train, etc.
*Geometric Shapes -make transportation vehicles
*Sorting vehicles by land, air and water
Worksheets for on-the-go:
*Patterning with pictures of cars/boats *Street Sign Shapes- cut and paste
*Transportation shapes and counting *Vehicles: Color, cut, sort and paste

Literature:
Crews, Donald- Freight Train; Trucks; School Bus; Flying; Sail Away
Watty and Piper- The Little Engine That Could
Potter, Marian- The Little Red Caboose
Scarry, Richard- Cars and Trucks and Things That Go
Roy, Jennifer Rozines and Gregory Roy- Shapes in Transportation
Lenski, Lois- The Little Train; Davy Goes Places;
Barton, Byron- Airport
Rockwell, Anne- Good Morning Digger; Trucks; Ferryboat Ride
Hillenbrand, Will- Down By the Station
Burton, Virginia Lee- Katy and the Big Snow
Eastman- P.D -Go Dog, Go!

Snacks:
Pear (or peach) boats with pretzel masts and sliced cheese as the mainsail.
Apple trains stuck together with soy or almond butter, banana wheels.
Banana planes with graham cracker wings and raisin windows.

Field trips:
Mount Dora Train Ride
Science Center second floor transportation room
Disney- Monorail, boat, bus
Lake Mary Historical Center model train display
Sanford Marina

So. There you go. The rest of the year is in various stages of development, but I'm having a blast! Thoughts? Additions? Great ideas? Please share! Thanks! =)

More gifts

2010-07-20T06:37:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long since I've written a post about all of the gifts we have received. Today I'm especially feeling the need to cultivate a thankful heart. Our AC went out yesterday while the girls napped. It's been an interesting 24 hours. Hopefully it will be resolved before today's nap time!

255. For a typically working AC
256. For when the girls AREN'T screaming at each other - those sweet quiet moments can easily go unnoticed because they don't demand as much attention. And, for the moments I do catch them and make them a bigger deal than the other.
257. That the screaming phase is just that- a phase.
258. That the girls are playing together in Caiden's room- I love to hear them communicate together.
259. For our Library that is SO close
260. That Addison is running around the house with a bell from one of Caiden's games saying "Tinkle bell, tinkle bell" =D
261. For the extra time to read A LOT to the girls (about 25 books a week)
262. For intrinsic relevancy- the reason Caiden decided she wanted to learn to write her name- to write to her pen pal Emma!

263. For my hands on, snuggle bunny, tactile child who needs to be hugged, tickled, wrestled with and held. It's fun for everyone!
264. For two little girls who are enjoying the no AC dress code for Littles: diapers and panties only (perhaps for the first extended time). If I had known they would enjoy it this much maybe I would have let them do this sooner!
265. For Addison saying: "it's okay" as one word.
266. For time during yesterday's nap time to work on a list of unit studies and activities for the Fall. It's a work in progress. We're going to have so much fun!!
267. For the really well written and inspiring books we've found at the Library recently. One of Caiden's favorites was Ox Cart Man. She wanted to learn to sew like the little girl in the story. So, out came the lacing cards. When those are mastered, I have yarn and a plastic needle. The goal? To make Christmas presents this year. Her idea. We'll see. ;)
268. For fun afternoons writing letters in rice, sand, chocolate pudding, red jello-paint, cool whip, and painting with water on the side walk.
269. For Addison learning to count just by hearing her sister: One two, free (me: four) five (me: six) seben, (me: eight) nine, TEN! Just about knocked me over last night- Jeff is my witness!
270. For fun new music that both girls love. Even Addison has learned some of the words in just two days- amazing!
271. When you ask Addison a question and she says, "I dunno". Makes me smile every time.
272.That God is providing resources, connections, ideas, support and like minded moms for our venture into home preschool.
273. That we made it through a week without Daddy and that he had a good mission trip with the youth group.
274. That Jeff is HOME!!
275. For the morning to play in water with buckets, paint brushes, and lots of splashing.
276. For the trees in our back yard, and the breeze that blows through the preserve and over the creek that kept us cool all morning.
277. That we have A/C again!!!! (Thanks to B & L A/C Services!)
278. That it didn't cost as much as we feared!
279. That I have learned to save money couponing- hard work, time consuming, but so worth it!
280. For time to do little things- like blogging.
281. That a beautiful butterfly kept us company this morning in the back yard. It was quite a treat.
282. I spent the morning pretending with Caiden and was thrilled to see her imagination, her vocabulary, and how she really COULD entertain herself with just a stick and water.
283. For Caiden's imaginary eagle friend who apparently moved in with us this afternoon and is named Mary. She is very helpful and "brought us berries while we were in the backyard all morning." =) (We've made a lot of progress in the name department. folks! Until a few weeks ago, all of her made up characters in her stories and her dolls had made-up names that sounded Arabic. =)
284. For the Spanish/English Signing Time videos my Mom bought and am delighted that Addison asked for Agua and signed "water" this morning. Having children that could eventually be trilingual- now THAT would be amazing!

That's all I have time for now. And it was just what the Dr. ordered. My perspective has shifted and I'm feeling a whole lot more cheerful. Thanks for listening! =)

Couponing

2010-07-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a few friends of mine who have been sharing their couponing success with the world on Facebook, I decided to do a little studying myself and figure out how to play this game. I have found a few websites that have really helped along this journey. I will share them with you so you can jump on the bandwagon too. But first...

Here are a few things that have changed the way I shop: sales come around every 4-6 weeks. In between then the items have mini-sales. The best price is to get the biggest sales. For example: Yogurt may go on a 60% off sale, but it may have a 30 or 40% off sale in between. So, when they have the greatest sale: I stock up so i can make it until the next time that sale comes around. What really makes this a good deal is if Publix has a BOGO sale or you can find a coupon in addition to the sale. This week Yoplait Probiotic yogurt was on a BOGO sale and then I had a $0.50 off and $.60 off coupon for those items, so I paid $1.40 for 8 cups of yogurt.

Tip: Notice I said when Publix has a BOGO sale, and you have a coupon- you can use a coupon for BOTH items. That's REAL savings!

Do not have brand loyalty. It's much easier to save money that way. Believe it or not, I can saved a lot more money buying the brand name items vs. store brands- and in some instances the taste difference is REAL. The reason I can save more is because they don't have coupons for the store brands, nor do they go on sale as often.

Okay, here's my routine. On Sunday I go and get a newspaper. Sometimes two if the coupons are good. I check out the store inserts for Publix, CVS, Walmart and Walgreens. Then I look at the coupon and sale match ups. Then I check out a few coupon websites for printable websites: www.coupons.com, www.smartsource.com, www.redplum.com and print out anything I need now, or could possibly use later. There are some websites that help in the sale/coupon match ups. They are www.tipsandtricks.com, www.iheartpublix.com, and www.southernsavers.com.

Then, based on what staples we are out of, and what is on sale, I make my grocery list. Sometimes it's unclear whether sale prices are better than I can find on stores brands at Walmart, so I will to to Walmart first to make sure I can't find anything cheaper.

For example: at CVS this week they had advertised BOGO on 12 rolls of toilet paper making it 24 rolls for $10.49. I happened to have coupons for that brand as well. ($1.50 off total) And some left over CVS extra care bucks. (-$4) making it $5 for 24 rolls of toilet paper!! YAHOO!! =D There really is a trick to working CVS and Walgreens, but that will have to be a different post.

So, this week at Walgreens, Walmart and Publix I paid a total of $85.54 and saved $40.87. That's nothing to sneeze at, but it's not as impressive as some of my friends have pulled off. I'm a work in progress! So, want to join me? Let me know what you have saved!

The Princesses Have Left the Building

2010-07-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

...But we are hoping and praying that the one that matters will return to us soon!

You know that your Three Year Old is understanding her boundaries when she will willingly explain them to all who will listen: in the grocery store, at the Dr.'s Office, to family, at church....=)

We have been hard core struggling with Caiden's behaviour recently. I know- it's hard to believe. But it's true. It's been AWFUL! We have tried everything we could think of and were unsatisfied with the results. Until...there was finally a brainstorm that resulted in something promising. Until she was able to behave like her beloved princesses, we were going to have to take away everything Princess. Movies, clothing, dress up, books...you name it. (It's almost frightening how many "royal" things we own!) It began with the obvious offenders, and then she willingly started bringing us Princess items. A random Barbie Belle shoe, Jaq, Gus and Suzie mini toys from Cinderella, Barbie Aurora's brush, etc. She was very serious about these miscellaneous Princess items and insisted that they be removed as well. Well...okay. So, we have been Princess free for about six days now and we are seeing glimpses of our old Caiden. Not because she wants to earn them back, but honestly, I think it's because she isn't consumed with eating, breathing, LIVING Princess stuff. I mean, it was getting bad- it was all she would talk about. It was all she was concerned about. It was becoming obsessive. It's almost like she needed to clear her head. I know that sounds dramatic, but I'm telling you folks, I'm dead serious. It was like a 7th grader's obsession with their new cell phone. Sometimes you just need a forced sabbatical.

So, we're using this time to read a LOT of Library books. I went and found about 14 of the newest Caldecott and Newbury Award winners that our Library had and we are enjoying those. I'm trying to expand her horizons past the imaginary world (that had become oh too real!) and into the present. I'm trying to pull her out of her head and listen to all of her ruminations. We're spending more time outside; which works well for Addison since she could live outside 24-7 if I allowed it. But most importantly, we're focusing a lot on character development. You know, actual character traits and a lot of Scripture to back it up. We're talking about the Fruit of the Spirit. And we're doing more "time-ins". We sit down, try and get to the heart posture and why she's making these choices, what she's feeling etc. We look at the ugliness, really look at it- not just scold about it, and talk about it. And then we forgive it.

So, I'm tired. Really, really brain tired. But, I know in my heart that this is something that pays off in the long run. This is what my Father in Heaven does with me. And I'm hoping someday to become more like Him than when I started. And honestly, parenting in the midst of these non-Princess days is what will probably be my most efficient vehicle toward that "becoming". So, we're digging in. We're slowing down. We're taking time. We're committed to doing whatever we need to do to train her up. So, pray for us!

And pray for sweet Addison too, as she isn't sleeping well due to SIX teeth coming in at the same time- four of those being molars. =( ...That also could be why I'm so tired. ;)

Proof

2010-06-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

I told you she's mischievous! Add innovative to the list too. She's been dragging Caiden's "potty stool" around to reach whatever she wants to get into. Of course I prevent access to this stool as much as possible, but it still happens. I wasn't fast enough to catch the amused, mischievous look on her face, but then, I did run to get the camera instead of getting her safely on the ground which threw her for a loop.

Apparently she gets her pension for creativity from her sister. Look what Caiden did last night!

Who knew that there was such great potential in the rack that the diapers were drying on?! They've been playing in it almost non-stop since last evening. She asked if she could keep it up for "lots of days" and I think I may just let them. The company we're going to have during the next few days will just have to deal with it. =)

First Installment

2010-06-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

Can it be? I actually haven't blogged since February?! Well then, I guess I should post some Easter pictures.

We take our family pictures in front of the Resurrection Cross in front of the church every year. The girls choose a flower to add to the collage, and we say, "He is Risen!" and then we take as many pictures as we can. Thanks Dez!!! I have to admit, we are not very photogenic. We never all look cute at the same time. However, this year, they turned out pretty well. I give all the credit to our "photographer". ;)

The reason for my silence in the blog world is two-fold: The last few months of school were tough. And I was really trying to engage with my children who are growing by leaps and bounds every day! Because we have been SO busy, we were REALLY excited about our vacation to Disney with Jeff's entire immediate family over Memorial Day. I love those vacations because the kiddos get to really enjoy each other. And the adults too! ;) Jeff's brother Jay and his wife Kristin have three children: Connor, Landon and Reese. For some reason I don't have pictures on my camera of them all, but I know Mom took some, so hopefully I will be able to snag some from them and add them later. Here are some snapshots of our time together. Sweet time with G-Ma, reading before bedtime...

One night we had dinner at a hotel on property and the girls wore their CUTE little Minnie pillowcase dresses that Dez made for them. I made the bows, of course. I'm going to have to get better pictures of this, but here's one that shows the dress a little.

Here's a peak at Landon and Addison playing together. So sweet!

And one of the cousins meeting Donald Duck- Addison's favorite, but up close he was pretty intimidating as evidenced by the thinly masked fear on her face!

Here are some super duper cute shots of our 16 month old Addison. This child will make you fall in love with her a million times a day. See?

Here's her working her magic with her Daddy! =) She's also our most daring and most mischievious child. In the last week I've found her coloring on our walls twice, experimenting with my lipstick, falling down a few steps of play ground equipment where she impatiently brushed me off and merrily went on her way after I stopped her fall. She will dash away in public pausing only for a second to turn around and happily taunt, "bye-bye!" before dashing off again. She's bundle of energy, "I wan down- walk!" and would happily spend her entire day "uside". She needs a bath every single day because she is ALWAYS dirty. =) She's communicating very well these days. Although her speech is not as clear as Caiden's was at this age, her vocabulary is larger. She regularly speaks in sentences and can communicate her wants and needs most of the time pretty well. She amazes us everyday. Here's a picture of our little Piccasso painting on a more acceptable surface than our walls. ;)
In the next few days I'm going to hunt down an edible paint recipe and let the girls go to town painting on themselves in the bath tub. (Doesn't that just sound like fun? I wonder if they have a chocolate one...)

Here's our other little sunshine.

She is our Lover of Stories. We've taken to visiting our Library once a week to check out a huge stack of books, just to keep Caiden busy. In the car, it's my job to navigate the roads and come up with perfectly engaging stories for her. Thankfully, we now take turns and she makes one up for Addison too. I'm trying to keep a balance of Bible stories, fairy tale stories, fables, and role playing stories about the world around her. By the time we arrive at our destination, I'm already tired! ;)

This summer I am researching preschool curriculums, unit studies, and field trips for the coming year. My goal is to have the next year loosely laid out so that Jeff and I can team teach her this coming year, as I'm still working part time. I don't want to get her too far out in front of the pack for her age group, but at the same time, I'm not going to starve a hungry child! It's a fine balance and I'm trusting the Lord to give me wisdom and discernment as we move forward.

One of my greatest delights is watching my girls love on each other. One of their favorite things to do at the park, is swing together. It's pretty adorable. Here's a pretty poor shot, but it explains what I mean. The next one is a cute one of their friends, Corey and Iain Brannon thinking that that swing technique looked cool enough to try. =)

The girls are up from their naps, and I need to give them my attention. More installments to come! =)

Coming Soon!

2010-06-24T20:38:00.001-07:00

Yes, we've been BUSY. Here are a few things you may see coming soon:

New pics and quotes from the girls.
Memorial Day at Disney with our Family
Our trip to TN
Update on Loopdeloop Bow Company (that's me- by the way! =) with possibly some cute pics!
New activities we're growing into
Caiden and Emma
Couponing Report
Thankfulness
Thank God for Summer

Addendum

2010-02-09T21:30:00.000-08:00

As I was reading Caiden's post to her she threw out her hip, snapped her hand down on it, dusted off her "what were you THINKING" scowl and soundly put me in my place. "Mama- you didn't get it RIGHT. You forgot Big Grandma and Big Grandpa!" (Jeff's Grandparents)

"Yes, small fry, I did. I'm not perfect you know. Your list of loved ones DOES equal the population of some small towns and did I mention, I'm not perfect? In fact, you can just re-align your hips now please because if you keep throwing it out that far, by the time you're 13 you're going to look mighty silly. And while you're at it, you can stop looking at me that way because you AREN'T 13 yet (and hopefully by then we've made more progress and you will have forgotten about that look). " ....is what I was THINKING.

Instead, I took a deep breath and said, " Why yes, you're right! I did. Will you please remind me what you said about them so I can add it to this list?"

Her "look" melted into a lovely smile and she said, "Sure, that would be GREAT. I said my favorite thing about them was that we could visit their house and that they let me watch a show on T.V. and NOT that Big Grandpa tells me I'm full of Soup- 'cuz, I didn't even eat soup!" =)

The Big Three

2010-02-09T07:49:00.000-08:00

Based on one of our latest Library finds- "Pajama Day", Caiden has called a McLaughlin Pajama Day for this gray and drippy morning. Super fun! We're going to have breakfast for lunch and wear our p.j's. In honor of our pajama day, I though I would write a proper post about my big three year old. This post was inspired by our bed time conversation last night. (Plus, I knew I needed to get this down before I forgot it! ) =)

After I got Addison down last night, I snuck back into Caiden's room to snuggle with her and help her settle down. We usually tell stories during this time, but last night I decided to take the time to really get to know my daughter. Here's a (non-verbatim) transcript of my peek into her world.

Introducing Caiden the Three Year Old!

Mama: Caiden, what your favorite thing to do with Daddy?
Caiden: Go to the playground
M: what is your favorite thing to do with Mama?
C: go for walks and snuggle.
M:what is your favorite thing to do with Addison?

C: Read books to her.

M :What is your favorite food?
C: Eggplant and stir-fry (don't worry- these are two SEPARATE foods!) =)
M: what's your favorite thing to drink?
C: Apple juice and for a surprise I like eating ice cream or cookies!!!

M: What's your favorite toy TODAY?
C: I like playing with my kitchen and my castle too!
M:Who is your best friend?
C: Addison
M:Where is your favorite place to GO?
C: I already told you- to the Playground- oh, wait- and Disney!
M: What is your favorite book?
C: Amelia Bedelia and Fancy Nancy books.

M:What's your favorite thing to do with G-Ma and Pi-Paw?
C: When G-Ma comes to visit me when you work, and going to Disney too! When I was 2, Pi-Paw took me to a playground- that was my favorite!

M: What's your favorite thing to do with Nana and Papa?
C: I like to read books and spend time with them.

M: What is your favorite thing to do with G.G.?
C: I like going to her house and playing with her toys.

M: What's your favorite thing to do with your Aunts?
C: Going outside and jumping in leaves with my new friend, Emma.

M:What do you like to do with Uncle Tim and Aunt Sarah?
C: I like going on dates with them.

M:What do your favorite thing about Uncle Jay and Aunt Kristin and your cousins?
C: I like seeing them at Disney and playing with them. And I'm happy about the books they gave me for my birthday! (We took her book shopping with the gift card they gave her for her birthday and she bought, Sammy the Seal and Fancy Nancy- Bonjour Butterfly.)

What's your favorite thing about Uncle Aaron and Aunt Kris?
C: When they come see me and I wake up from my nap and they are HERE!!!

What your favorite thing about Aunt Heather and Uncle Michael?
C: I like then coming over to my house!!

What is your favorite song?
C: My favorite song used to be "Mighty to Save" but now my favorite is Signing Time
What is your favorite movie?
C: Cinderella

What is your favorite doll? Minnie

What is your favorite thing to DO at home?
C: Do crafts!

And there you have it folks! Can you tell that her love language is Quality Time? =)

Addison

2010-02-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

In honor of this being Addison's birth month, I wanted to share with you a little of the joy we get from her every day.

Addison is an amazingly sweet, precious, funny child. She is our cuddle bug. We begin each day by entering her room to find a joyous, radiantly smiling little girl standing in her crib, bouncing with excitement. She always looks behind me and says, "Sis" . Waking up is always more fun when your sister is around!! Upon waking, she loves to snuggle for a few minutes. I just soak it up!

When I'm running around, getting stuff done, she will crawl over, catch my attention, pulling me in with her dark eyes and then just laugh. Not just a chuckle- I mean a great, long, belly laugh that never fails to end in hiccups. All you have to do to incite those hiccups on your own is s-l-o-w-l-y look in her direction with a mischievous look on your face and she will collapse in hysterics. It's rather delightful!

When she nurses, she intertwines her fingers in my hair and caresses it gently. She has just learned to say, "Milk!" and is thrilled with how effective that command is, although sometimes she will add a signed, "please" for good measure. She is now consuming solid meals 2-3 times a day and is a huge fan of big people food. Her favorite seems to be Cheerios so far. Caiden is so excited so finally be able to share some of her food with Addison. They are often caught sharing their juice cups as well. Last week at church they shared their Cheerio snack for the first time, and it was adorable.

When we're grocery shopping, Addison leans over the cart to look for her sister and squeals and laughs when she catches her attention. Caiden loooves entertaining Addison and will keep it up the entire trip. I break up "the love" several times a visit because the decibel level increases at a very rapid pace and I try to be sensitive to those around me. Last week Caiden protested, "But Mom, I'm just loving my sister!" Heaven forbid I stand in the way of that!!!

She is mimicking more every day. She tries to repeat everything you say. It's amazing! Last week my sister (Aunt Heather- more affectionately known as Aunt Heath) came over and she was playing with Addison. She taught her, "A is for Addison, Big "A", Little A- "a, a, a". Two days later Caiden announced that she "made an A" as she was coloring and Addison says "a,a,a" and when I congratulated her she told me, "Heath". And I remember thinking at the time, "she's a little young for that ." Humph. The child is brilliant!

Addison also loves hats as much as Caiden loves bows. See? >

She appropriates those all on her own. It's way too cute! Of course, Jeff loves it! ;)

Well, there are so many more things I could share with you, but I'm falling asleep on the job. Good night!

Every day...

2010-01-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

Every day as the whirring and growling draw closer, she runs to the window, drawn- as if by Sirens. You can feel the vibrations before it ever reaches our street. It's like clockwork, really. It squeals to a stop in front of our house, lifts, shakes, drops and then clambers up the hill to do it again, making enough noise to wake our back yard neighbors. ;) Nothing gets in her way as she madly dashes toward the window. Not toys, not little sisters, not blinds will hold her back. Mental note: open the blinds upon waking in the morning to delay replacing said window coverings. Does every little child have a love affair with garbage trucks? Do yours?

Confessions and Christmas

2010-01-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

But not in that order- it just sounded better that way...

Christmas was fun. And busy. And I found myself doing a lot of introspection and a lot of resolutions about next year. Maybe if I write them down I'll remember them more easily. Who am I kidding, I won't remember to read these before next year, but maybe this will help me be more accountable to you all. Whoever "you all" happens to be- which really is a strange thing not knowing exactly who reads this blog, by the way. Maybe after you read this post you can "comment" and let me know that you're reading. Oh aren't you so kind!

Anyway. Christmas. When I say busy, I mean that we left the house each morning from the 19th -26th and didn't return until evening. The good news is that I never forgot to pack something that we couldn't live without, and we survived. The bad news is that we left the house each morning and came back each evening utterly exhausted and only did what was absolutely mandatory before falling unconscious in our beds/couch/floor- basically where ever we found ourselves. The good news is- we had fun, we celebrated Jesus' birthday well and made lots of memories. The bad news: naps? What's that you say? And our home? Ugh. But, we survived and the kids are happily back into their schedules and we are almost at the final stages of unearthing our home from the piles/dirt that got neglected while we were vacationing.

Let me share some of our memories with you!
Disney ! (Over Thanksgiving)

More Disney- with the cousins! Connor, Landon and Caiden were thick as thieves. They had a blast together and really do love each other. So much so that I heard this come out of my mouth: "No, you can't marry your cousins- you can love them a lot, but you can't marry them." =)

Connor-5, Landon-3, Caiden- almost 3, Addison-10months, Reese- 3 months. We had it easy this year- next year we're going to have to wrangle the youngest two into the picture- oh my! =)

We attempted to get a family Christmas picture. Twenty-five pictures later, here are the best ones. ;)

We also took one with ALL of my sibs- which, as you know, is a daunting task, as the numbers of us are growing! My, don't we look intimidating?!

During the break, Addison had her first solid food, followed closely by her first taste of ice cream- per the Jeff McLaughlin tradition. In another post I'll expound on how this tradition began, for now I'll just leave you hanging. Grin. I'm so mean some times... To make it up to you, feast your eyes on this cutie pie!
She is also saying: hat, Mama, uh-oh, dog, Dada, good girl, and signing: hat, more, milk, dog. This is going way too fast!!

So now for the confessions- forgot about that already, huh? Well, here goes. I just cleaned my kitchen floor for the first time in like, three weeks. There, I said it. It was getting so bad, that I wouldn't let Addison crawl in there because I was certain that she would find a different kind of organic home made baby food than she was used to, and I just wasn't comfortable expanding her palate yet! In fact, this break I went on a house cleaning hiatus. Not on purpose, mind you. It was sheer survival! I've been sick for like- a month. For real. And I can't do anything about it unless I want to give my child formula for a week while I take an antibiotic- which I don't.

So, I've chosen to SLEEP (which really is a dishonest characterization of my evening activities as Addison has been sick/teething/off schedule and waking once or three times a night) instead of cleaning, or picking up. Really the only thing that HAS gotten done is the laundry. The child needs diapers, you know? Well, not exactly DONE- just washed and dumped on the couch. That and the baby food was made- she needs to eat too...It was truly frustrating/embarrassing/insert an descriptive word that makes you feel sick to your stomach. Because we all have these visions in our heads of the perfect Christmas- the reading of the Scripture, singing of Happy Birthday, eating of the birthday cake, the sharing of gifts, the happy children, the loving parents kissing in front of the tree, the spotlessly clean home gleaming in the background...Well, everything happened, except the last part. In fact, my home was the messiest it's ever been in my seven years of marriage on Christmas Day. And I chose to let it go in order to sleep- plus, no one would see it any way. Oops.

Then we had a surprise visit from G-Ma and Pi-paw. Which was awesome- because I guarantee you next year my girls will NOT remember that the house was a mess, but that their grandparents surprised them and visited them on Christmas morning. However, I was mortified. I've haven't felt that kind of embarrassment in years. Not since a boy named Zach walked in on me using the lady's room in 6th grade.

So, I started to think about WHY that embarrassed me. Why did I need to have everything perfect? Man, that pride thing runs deep! So deep that I even started to justify it! In reality, my house should be clean. But here's the deal- I'm NOT perfect. I'm just a regular Mama, caring for my two little girls, loving my husband, running a hair bow biz (oh yeah, I haven't written about that yet- that's a separate post all together...bear with me!), working part time, participating in Christmas festivities, being sick, and just doing the best I could. So, I thought that I would share that with you so you wouldn't think that you had to be perfect too. Join me in becoming more genuine, real, and honest with yourself and others this year. I mean really, don't you feel better already? =)

So, I'm just going to do the best I can.

And really? I'm okay with that. I think my amazing husband and my little girls still love me. I hope I haven't scarred them for life, I pray hard and trust that Jesus will make up for the rest. And you know? He's pretty good at that!!!!

Our BIRTHday!

2009-12-27T19:22:00.000-08:00

Today is a significant event in our family: three years ago today a little girl entered the world and made me a Mama! What an amazing journey we have been on, my little punkin-baby and I! We have learned so much together. I can hardly believe that it's been three years! As I was perusing pictures for this post, I was struck by how "little girl-ish" Caiden looks now. Good bye toddlerhood! See what I mean?

This year has been such a blast! Caiden continues to amaze us with her love of learning. She enjoys learning new words, letters, and numbers. Her favorite thing in the world is going to the playground, but a close second, and perhaps more frequent activity is telling or being told stories. If books are unavailable, or inaccessible, she will readily settle for a "talking story". She is an amazing story teller in her own right and lately we've realized she is actually engaging us with her made up stories. While her stories are fun, the names of her characters are always hilarious and never real names. (Like her doll named "Izon")

She is an amazing big sister to Addison and often talks about how much she loves her sister. It is a common occurrence to see her interrupt her activity to kiss her sister, or run and grab a toy to occupy her, or do something to make Addison laugh. It delights us to see the kind of sister she has become.

She continues to have a love affair with dresses, jewelry, shoes, princesses and all things GIRL. She also has quite the natural flair for the dramatic and is rather photogenic. See? And my personal favorite...

Daddy

and Mommy
are so proud of you, Caiden Hannah. We love you so much and are so thankful that God chose us to be your parents. You are a delight to everyone- but most of all, to us. We pray blessings over your third year sweet girl. This year may you grow in love, understanding, confidence, knowledge and wisdom but most of all in the fear of the Lord. We love you!!

Recent pictures

2009-10-20T06:16:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling guilty for not writing in so long, but I really don't have time right now, so I will just post pictures...Enjoy!

Daddy and his girls ready for the game- any game UM plays. =)

Addison opening the card from G-Ma and Pi-Paw celebrating the arrival of Autumn which came on the same day that Autumn's temperatures decided to grace us with its presence.

A story

2009-10-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

I was reading my friend Allie's blog (http://jabrannon.blogspot.com/) today and decided to throw my name in the hat to win a book. The "application process" was simple: write a story. So I did. Here is the story. And no, I didn't make it up. =)

It was a regular morning. I was taking advantage of a quiet moment nursing my seven mpnth old to clean out my inbox when a simple string of sentences catapulted my Mama heart into new territory.

"Mama friends, I lost my dear friend Jen this morning as she napped with her six week old baby girl. She was completely healthy, we don't know what happened. Her daughter Sara was breast fed.

I am going to start sharing my milk with Sara. Do any of you have extra that you can share too?"

I looked down at my Addison, all soft curves and plump rolls, nestled in my arms being nurtured and satisfied at my breast and thought, "I could share some milk with this sweet Mama-less baby..." When my infant interrupted her own meal with the gift of her milky smile, it was final. I could, and I would share with this little stranger a most intimate gift- something that before this moment had been reserved for my own precious children alone.

Later that day when my two year old, Caiden asked why I was "taking out all of Addion's milk" I explained that we were going to share some of her milk with a tiny little baby whose Mama couldn't nurse her any more because she was with Jesus. I spoke tenatively, gently. My daughter is so sensitive to pain- especially my own. I was unsure how she would respond, so when she looked at me solemnly, dropped her toy and ran from the room, my heart sank. Seconds later she returned and clambered onto the couch, sitting right next to me. She grabbed the breast pump, stuck it under her shirt and announced proudly, "I'll help too."

National Pastimes

2009-09-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

What pictures stretch across your mind when you think of a National Pastime?
Is it this?

Perhaps something along these lines?

May I humbly suggest a new national pastime? We are consumed by it over here and it is wildly entertaining, and some would say that it is the cheapest, purest, most light hearted fun for the whole family available!

What's that?

The suspense is killing you?

Oh, forgive me! Here's a picture of my nomination of the NEW national pastime.
Kissing....

Baby,,,,

Cheeks!!!

Because when you have cheeks like this around...

...how can you resist? I dare you!

Dog Days of Summer

2009-09-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist!
This is Dexter- the dog my girls fell in love with at Camp Arete this summer.

I love Addison's tongue smile- it was sweetness for a few weeks over the summer, and now it is gone. =( They change so fast! But, it is proof that my second daughter loves dogs. She loves Bentley too- Aunt Bekah's dog. She resembles an overzealous marionette when she seems him, "jumping" while suspended in in mid-air, arms flailing with excitement. So cute.
And NO, we will not be getting a dog. Thankyouverymuch! =)

Cultivating Thankful Hearts

2009-09-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Some conversations with Caiden today got me thinking about our conscious decision to instill thankfulness in our girls. I started evaluating what kind of example I was setting for her. It's so easy to be thankful when things are fun, sweet, beautiful, and, well, easy. Like when Caiden asks "to play Thankful" every night at dinner and proceeds to allow me to splash around in the overflow of her thankful heart.

Tonight we waded in these things: (listed as she shared them with me- "lots of time with Daddy- Mama, I just love it!,
for the place mat G-Ma bought me, for my bunk beds, for hanging out with Daddy (I'm serious- she said hanging out!), for little baby Reese- she loves me!, for going to Nana's, for this yummy "wice" and chicken, and for Pi-Paw not flying, (I think she meant on Monday so she could see him...). Or when after a particularly frustrating bed-time experience sneaking back into her room for a few minutes of snuggle time in her bottom bunk and to find a radiant smile awaiting me, small arms thrown around my neck, and a sweet voice proclaiming that my appearance "made her heart so happy!"

I'd love to share with you some easy things that filled my heart today: That a sweet family from our church gave us bunk beds for Caiden AND put them up for me while Jeff was out of town on a youth trip.

That Jeff helped me settle the girls into their new rooms last night and I got to tuck them into new beds, in tidy, comfy rooms.

That Caiden can make me laugh just by making a comment in passing: "Mama, this grown up book has words AND pictures. Isn't that creative?!" (This observation was made about a book a snagged from Lake Sybelia's free book pile- Roald Dohl's "The BFG"- terrific book for young and old alike, by the way.)

That Addison delights my heart every time she dives for my arms, or says "Dada" when Jeff walks into the room. Those are moments anyone could be thankful for. But then there are times when to my shame, I allow the moment to consume me and I get overwhelmed or frustrated.

Here are some things I chose to be thankful for today: that when my plans/schedule don't work out, God is re-directing my path (if I let Him),

that even though today was a work day, it was only five hours; that when during dinner preparation and Addison was screaming, and I pulled a container of strawberries out of the fridge and promptly dropped them all over the inside of the fridge and the floor- I needed to clean those places anyway! =)

That during bath time when my princesses tragically turned into some alien life forms, whining, back-arching, tsunami splashing, deaf and defiant creatures- I was able to be thankful that I CAN give them both baths at the same time/place now and remember that soon enough they will be showering and not need me any more.

That even though my Mom needs to have her hip replaced (Sept 21st), in a few short months she will be pain free and moving around like new!

Okay, falling asleep at the keyboard again- I better sign off before I try and count something, or otherwise make a comment that would lead you to the conclusion that we are in the process of adding to our family. Good heavens! Blogging can be dangerous!! =) Good night!

Correction! FIve- not six!

2009-09-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

Oh my- that's what I get for writing that blog so late last night....I can't count! There are FIVE McLaughlin grandchildren now- not six as I had previously posted. My sweet Mother in Law called me this morning and about gave me heart failure asking if I was pregnant and if that was the reason there were "six"...Dear me! No, I am NOT pregnant!!! =) Addison woke up three time last night to eat- I cannot imagine being pregnant at this stage in the game!!! A little sleep deprived and delirious, yes, pregnant, no! But give yourselves a pat on the back if you caught the mistake! =)

Brought to you by the Letter R and the Number 5

2009-08-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

Caiden and I were talking about things that begin with the "r" sound- here's what we came up with: (for an honest re-creation, say the words with a "w"sound in place of the "r". (Like "Wachel") If she thinks about it, she can fix it, but most of the time I let it slide...I know that sound isn't stable until age 4, and it's just so darn cute! =)
Rachel (from Signing Time- the "favorite video of my life" as she calls it,
Raisins,
Running,
Raccoon,
Rainbow, and......drum woll (ahem- ROLL) please......

Reese - who celebrates her BIRTH day today! Welcome to the world sweet little Reese. Your cousins, Uncle Jeff, and Aunt Shannon were so excited to meet you today! We can't wait to get to know you more. Right now, just from our quick glimpse of you, we think you look like a beautiful mix of your brothers. We can't wait to watch you change and grow. For now, enjoy getting to know your family, learning to nurse, and snuggling. Before long you will be as big as your cousin Addison- who I promise was your size just 6.5 months ago. (Reese was 6 lbs and 10 oz, 19.75 inches long)
So, what does the number five have to do with anything? That's the number of grandchildren in the McLaughlin Family now- so much fun!! What a beautiful day of celebration!

Thankful Tuesday!

2009-08-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

230. The sound of family gathered to enjoy "one of us" who lives afar for just a few short days.

231. Generous, creative, silly Aunts

232. The fullness of my daughters lives surrounded by people who love them as we do.

233. A few hours to step out of my Mama shoes and be a sister.

234. For the aroma of banana bread wafting through the house, cloaking us in the familiar, and comforting.

235. For too many cooks in the kitchen- oh the good old days!

236. For a fun visit from G-Ma that fills up a little girl and leaves her overflowing from the joy of it.

237. For educational direction and ideas that enable me to be more intentional and focused in my play times with C.

238. For my delightful children

239. That for the mot part my girls don't have to be shipped out while I'm working.

240. For the hours of preparation that saves me that will hopefully materialize in sleep!

241. For a vision for Addison's room and that it is slowly coming together.

242. For the pitter patter of little feet and the slap of bigger feet on the tile down the hall.

243. For Addison babbling "dadada" along to the worship music.

244. Yummy snack of baked chick peas.

245. That our Library is so close.

246. C making her Little People talk to each other in high pitched voices. Sweetness.

247. For the giggles that erupt from the sisters as C runs away and A "flies" behind her and occasionally lands on her back.

248. For the fun and rewarding workout that is!

249. That the girls are beginning to enjoy being able to play together.

250. For my little "Chunkin"- all 18 lbs of her cuddliness.

251. That both girls and Jeff are on the road to health again and that (thank you Jesus!) I never got sick.

252. For the dedication of my husband to care for our children in spite of both of us working again.

253. For long hours of sleep last night- a gift after her cold disinegrated whatever schedule we had pieced together.

254. That binkies for toddlers are a thing of the past, no longer mourned over or reminisced about. Yahoo!

Not My Child Monday

2009-08-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

So this week, I have some good ones....so please, for all that's good and holy, pause and empty your bladder. I do NOT want to be held responsible for any unintentional puddle hopping.

It was NOT my child who stood in front of a full length mirror yesterday at Target and practically bent over backwards in her efforts to puff out her chest. I definitely didn't catch her peeking under her clothing, making an inspection. When asked why she was taking up acrobatics, she did NOT say, "I'm trying to make them grow and get milk so I can feed my baby!" (Atta-girl! Already giving her baby "the best"! =))

It was not MY completely toilet trained child who had not one, but TWO accidents at my MOM's.....and on CARPET.

It certainly wasn't any offspring of mine who corrected an unsuspecting older gentleman at Walmart who admired my "cute little boy" with an exasperated, "SHE's not a BOY, she's a girl- she even has a "ba'gina" 'cause God made her a GIRL." And I'm pretty sure it wasn't me who grew wings and high tailed it out of that store as fast as my little legs could carry me not even checking to see if the man had heard or understood the last part of her explanation.

(In my defense, I had the girls and boys are different talk after she told me that when Addison grew up she would be a boy. We explained that girls and boys were different because God made them differently, and they had different private parts. But my daughter wasn't content with that- she wanted their NAMES. I only told her one time hoping that she wouldn't remember such unfamiliar and strange words. So much for that...)

What has your child "not" done this week? Please share the fun!

Thankful Tuesday!

2009-08-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

I know that it probably would sound better to have a "thankful Thursday", but next week will mark the beginning of my Thursdays at work, and I know I won't have time to blog on Thursdays, so Tuesday it is! =) Here's a continuation of our list from before.

We will share with you some highlights of this week's "Thankful Game" as Caiden calls our evening routine of sharing thankful hearts with each other at our dinner table. I have a very leggy, wiggly, happy girl on my lap right now, helping me to remember.

201. I'm thankful for God's grace over the girls and I while we were at camp. It was the first year that I didn't have a sister with me to help, and we all survived none too worse for wear- just tired!

202. I'm thankful that we WERE able to fit two pack-n-plays in our tiny room at camp.

203. I'm thankful for our in-door private bathroom, and shower and air conditioning in our little room- no one else had those amenities!

204. I'm thankful for the Rubbermaid container that doubled as the girls bath tub, and for wet, sudsy girls who enjoyed their first baths together.

205. I'm thankful for the laughter that ensued during every afternoon bath (the evening baths were soon discarded as everyone involved was too tired to be cheerful or sweet).

206. I'm thankful for my camp secret pal and how she made Caiden her own secret pal so she wouldn't be left out.

207. I'm thankful we got to sneak away from camp one day to go see my sister Kristin, who lives 1 hour away from camp. It was a lovely rural drive and I so enjoyed getting to see her home for the first time and her massive and prolific garden. She is my gardening hero right now!

208. For Caiden with cherry tomato seeds liberally dribbled down her white shirt while gleefully snacking in Kris' garden, and for her first lessons on picking tomatoes, corn, and beans.

209. For my Mom who got the tomato stains out of Caiden's shirt! She's my laundry hero!

210. For my wrap that carried Addison all over camp, and my nursing cover that enabled me to feed her during the only two sessions I made it to.

211. For our time in TN with my WHOLE family! It has been 8 months since we've all been together at one time! Happy anniversary Mom and Dad!

212. For the courage to go tubing with my girls husband, and siblings. The most fun I've had in a LONG time! Such beauty!

213. C- "For the llama's we saw when we were tubing!"

214. C-"And the cows too- and the baby ones!" She said, as she wriggled off my lap to play beside me.

215. For how Addison laughs the most adorable, contagious, gasp for air, and hold your sides kind of laugh when her sister is being silly.

216. For how the girls love on each other.

217. C- "For my little sister- she is my friend."

218. For how well the girls traveled and kept themselves occupied with library books, small toys and each other during the long road trip home.

219. For Addison's first Brave's game that we were able to catch in Atlanta on our way home.

(She really did enjoy herself! It certainly beat the experience we had when we took Caiden for the first time and half froze our pitooties off!)

Both girls kept the fans all around us entertained and we saw Chipper hit a home run!

220. For Addison's new grin with her tongue sticking out- is there not anything cuter in all the world?

221. For the unique and funny names Caiden comes up with (and remembers!) for her babies: Iz-awn, Eef, Fawna.

222. That Addison LOVES "the jumpy thing"- as C affectionately dubbed the Jumparoo seat.

223. For our computer and internet access on a consistent basis.

224. For the pictures family and friends send us while we are camera-less (except for Jeff's iPhone, which is where the Braves pics came from).

225. For the grace to survive our first night without binkies for Caiden, and that I didn't cave in.

226. That I have a snuggle bug in my Addie-girl.

227. That I get a massage tomorrow! (Thank you to the Dey family!)

228. That our sweet potato and basil survived our extended absence.

229. For moments like this one to bask in a heart over flowing with thankfulness, with classical piano music in the background and one baby napping, one playing quietly. What a blessed life I have!

Not Me Monday!

2009-08-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

I've been reading this Mama's blog (mycharmingkids.net) for a few weeks now and just waiting for a Monday so I could participate. Here goes!

I did NOT put off finishing my long post about summer in order to take part in this Not Me Monday. I would never keep my sweet family and friends needlessly waiting for our fun summer pictures and stories! I'm way more thoughtful than that!

I would never float down a river (in TN) for three hours that I wasn't familiar with, in inner tubes from the Dollar Store and with my babies in tow. And you certainly wouldn't catch me nursing my daughter in the afore-mentioned Dollar Store inner tube while floating down said river because she was hungry. What kind of mother would I be?!

And I would never be caught trying to convince my two year old that is was okay to empty her bladder in the river because she had to go and we were no where near the boat launch where we were getting out! I would never confuse my child like that! Not me!

I would never tell lie to my daughter and tell her that there was a Binky Fairy and that is visited our house last night and took away all of her binkies and left her little presents instead because she was a Big Girl now! Not me! Never!

And I did not let her eat the Pez candies from the Binky Fairy this morning before breakfast. Not me! That would be irresponsible!

What did you all NOT do this week? Do share!

A Fly Went By

2009-07-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

I'm not very good at concealing my feelings/reactions to things, and unfortunately, Caiden is extremely adept at reading me regardless. But, I'm working on it. I don't want her opinions to be shaped by my feelings.

At the Beach last week, my friend Carissa found a very large, very dead, dragonfly shell. By that, I mean that it was its exoskeleton, and wings, nothing inside. She showed it to us, and my immediate reaction was "cool- don't make me touch it- ech!" But I kept my mouth shut. Caiden was fascinated. Not only did she touch it, but she carried it around for a while. A LONG while. Long enough for me to begin thinking of how I could convince her that the poor guy needed to stay on the beach. I could just see him becoming dust in the hubbub of traveling back up to the condo and that would have been traumatic. Thankfully, she decided his final resting place herself, and we continued on without incident. I was amazed. Usually when bugs are involved, she freaks out. Even just flies cause her to flip. Lately, I had begun to wonder if her reaction to them was mirroring my own. (I HATE spiders and recently been startled by two in her presence. Let's just say I wasn't a gracious hostess...) Thus, the new sensitivity to my own reactions. Maybe I needn't worry- because lately, she's begun to show an interest in all small scurrying things after all- including the lizards that squeeze into our back porch to escape the heat. Maybe this is the beginning of something new... (as long as she doesn't ask them to stay with us...!)

While Caiden was exploring, Addison was chillin on the towel.

(Don't worry, she was slathered up nice and slippery, and only spent a few minutes in direct sunlight.)

Full

2009-07-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

In college one word we heard a lot in the context of serving others was reciprocity. The idea was that as you are pouring your life out for another that you reciprocally will be blessed and re-filled just by the process of being in relationship and loving them. Honestly, that's a great idea, but it isn't always true. At least not for me. Maybe that's my fault, I don't know. Either way, I got a glimpse of it today in a little different way that I expected.

I volunteered a few hours of my time to talk with new Mama's or soon-to-be Mama's at a baby expo today about how to avoid or heal from a cesarean section. As always it was sobering and emotional to hear their stories, their disappointments, their sadness and pain from the emotional/mental and of course physical implications of this surgery. But I also got to encourage them, cheer them on, educate them and celebrate with them for a few moments on their journey. Full.

When I got home, I had an hour in which I had to pull the house together before we had company for dinner, make dessert and a salad. Knowing that there was much to do in a small amount of time, Addison decided she would pitch in too, but instead of sleeping as usual during this time slot, she screamed. THE WHOLE TIME. Then Caiden came home and she proceeded to whine, cry, disobey and generally add to the distressed ambiance of our home. What is this- a conspiracy? The thing is, I should have known. Any time you absolutely HAVE to get something done with time constraints, that's when everything hits the fan. Are babies born with a sixth sense? Are they genetically predisposed to cause disruptions at the most inopportune times? It was one of those times when everything so falls apart that all you can do is laugh because the only other solution includes a box of tissue and a generous helping of self-pity. Unfortunately for me, when I laughed at the sheer lunacy of the moment, Caiden took it personally and collapsed in tears. Oops. It seems that I traded my sanity for hers. Not a good trade.

I put the dessert on hold. The floors didn't get swept. The salad was a distant memory. I focused on being present. I was consistent.

Rabbit trail: let me just say, being consistent is hard. For a moment I actually wished I was one of those parents who just made a bunch of threats and then let my kid walk all over me. Who needs discipline anyway? Or maybe just one of those parents who chose to ignore their child's emotional needs in favor of a clean home. I like clean homes....

But I love my children. So that means that I make every effort for meet their emotional needs, while also drawing boundaries for their safety, character development and in the long run, comfort.

At the end of their night, I took a few minutes (and fought the urge to watch the clock!) to snuggle with Caiden in her glider before bed. As I placed her in her crib, she cupped my face in her hands and said with a smile that warmed my heart to the core, " Mama, thank you for loving me."

Full. I'm so glad I took the time to be present. I could have traded that moment for any number of tasks and all of them would have fallen so very short on the fulfillment meter. My daughter feeling loved was more important than the salad that never got made.

After the girls were down, I went out to be with our company who happened to be former students of ours- now sophomores in college. These are kids with whom we have shared our life, and it was so good to have them around again. They asked a simple question, and I was honest and vulnerable. It's been a long time since I've shared on that level. They listened, asked questions, they shared.

Full.
I am so thankful for this day, for God's grace through it all, for the filling, for reciprocity. And now, I am thankful for my bed- good night!

I'm one of THOSE Mamas!

2009-07-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

This angelic sweetness is the impetus for three wardrobe changes today before the noon hour. Motherhood is such a messy career! I'm pretty sure that this job ranks in the top five: the first four (fishermen, butchers, coroners, sewage workers) being means of employment I would not embrace if my life depended upon it! Yes, I left out garbage men because in our neighborhood they have trucks that have mechanical arms that do all their work while they supervise from their air conditioned cabs- they don't make the cut! But I digress...

Along the lines of your offspring being the producers of surprisingly large quantities of bodily fluids, I realized today how far I've fallen in the ranks of caretakers everywhere. You see, prior to children, I thought Mothers who cleaned their children's faces with their saliva was disgusting. Now I do it regularly. (Sorry precious daughters, I will try to regain control before your 8th birthdays, or for sure your 10th...at the very latest year 11- I wouldn't want to ruin your chances of gathering some dignity before middle school!) However today Caiden came to me and asked me to pick her boogers. Not wanting my daughter's air flow to be impeded, I grabbed a tissue and told her to blow. After almost a dozen failed attempts to dislodge the offender, Caiden lost patience, "Just pick it out, WITH YOUR FINGER!!" Not wanting to fail my daughter, I reluctantly obliged. She was rather satisfied with the result- I was not. Gross. But, who am I kidding, I've already had worse on my clothing, in between my toes, and all over the carpet- just this morning!

I forgave her when upon consuming her last bite of veggie lasagna she said brightly, "Mama, that was my last bite and now I can have some chocolate pudding! Isn't that so e'citing?!! Yes my love, that IS so e'citing!

She said...

2009-07-16T20:23:00.001-07:00

Last night at the dinner table Caiden started singing to herself. Typically we take the opportunity to teach her dining etiquette in situations like this..."it is impolite to sing at the table...", but that night, I was too busy getting things on the table and we were eating late, and I was lost in the to do list for the remainder of the evening. Caiden interrupted my reverie declaring, "Mama, I'm not singing at the table, I'm singing at the light." Hmm. maybe I should have specified more carefully: it's impolite to sing while SITTING at the table...my bad.) =)

Our adventures

2009-07-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

The first week of July we decided to be very adventurous and take a serious road trip- to Michigan! Jeff had a conference for pastors at Mars Hill - Rob Bell's church, and so we were going along to make a vacation out of it. The plan was to leave at night, drive as far as we could to make good time while the girls were sleeping, and stop over night at my parent's property in TN. We would sleep, and then leave the following morning to drive the second leg of the trip during day light. The goal was to arrive on Saturday so that we could go to church at Mars Hill on Sunday. The conference ended on Tuesday, so we were going to leave on Wednesday and meander on down to Chicago to see what there was to see there. At some point we were going to stop back in TN to visit and spend some much needed time with my family.
This is how it really went down. We left at 8:30 at night, drove until 12 or so, and then Jeff couldn't stay awake any longer. He pulled into a rest area where he "slept" and where I fielded girls all night- one would wake up, I'd get them out of the car, feed or calm them down, and try and get them back to sleep. We got back on the road around 6am. A few hours later Jeff started feeling ill. We stopped for lunch and he slept in the car. When we got back on the road, he was really feeling sick and getting worse. Finally he agreed to let me drive the rest of the way. After arriving at the property, he went straight to bed and didn't get up for two days. It was the worst flu that I've ever seen him catch. We weren't going to get to Michigan in time, nor was he feeling up to driving another 12 hours, so we cancelled our plans to continue on to MI. We were disappointed, but as the week progressed, we were glad that we had made that decision. As Jeff got better we were able to enjoy the property and my family who were able to be there too.

We had two and a half beautiful days there where we got to enjoy hiking, picking blackberries black raspberries, preparing green beans for canning, four wheeling, swinging in the hammock near the stream, making berry cobbler with their freshly picked berries, and spending time with my family. My parents have been very anxious for us to get up there and enjoy the property with them for a year and a half now, so we were glad to finally be able to do so.
When we left, we went to see Tallulah Gorge, a huge waterfall in GA. They have dammed it, but it is still rather intimidating. It was beautiful, and an incredible display of raw power. We went down the 1099 steps to get closer to the falls, and you know it was worth it when the 1099 steps back UP became an after thought.

The girls did beautifully traveling. I put a mirror in front of Addison which really entertained her, and took it away for nap time, =) Caiden entertained her sister when she got lonely, and sang her little heart out to cheer her up when she wanted to eat - 20 miles ago! Caiden's favorite way to pass the time was listening to my old Disney books on tape. That and little petting zoo animals, coloring, library books, and "I Spy" (like Where's Waldo but with tiny objects) books were big winners. Both of the girls were real troopers and we were very proud of both of them.
Every memory made has moments that we cherish close to our hearts. Mine include: listening to the girls laugh contagiously at each other in the back seat of the car (is there anything more beautiful to a parent's ears that their children loving each other?!), From his sick bed, Jeff telling me to go enjoy my family- (so sweet this man of mine!), watching my sisters love on my daughters, watching my Dad relax and be in the moment, fun moments of exploration, enjoying Tallullah Gorge with our little family, and picking berries. Caiden's favorites: finding a turtle on the top of the mountain, picking berries, swinging on the porch swing while Allie reads to her, and snuggling with Nana.
Addison enjoyed being OUT of the carseat, being held all the time, and seeing Daddy more than she's seen him in a few weeks.
Jeff's favorite moments? Well, I'll repeat the ones he has mentioned since we've been home: taking us to Tallullah Gorge, those two days he spent with my family was the most quality time he has had with them in the last four years, picking berries, four wheeling, enjoying being "disconnected" for a little while.
So, our adventure didn't quite take us as far as we planned, but it was lovely nonetheless. Thank you Jesus!

Lists updated

2009-07-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

Add:
Post about vacation
Finish book on homeopathy
Creatively get through upcoming week without Daddy.
Decide on lamp
Begin new blog?

Remove:
Preparing for interpreting job
Packing for vacation
Buy some homeopathics
Explore senses with C

In process:
Replacing elastic on Caiden's old FB for Addison
Planning Fall garden- currently mapping out sun in our suddenly shady backyard. The only all-day sunny spot is the only spot with nice grass in both the front and back...hmmm.

We had our first encounter with a naughty word today. Something startled Jeff in the yard, and he said, "What the heck was that?" Two seconds later Caiden mimicked him word for word. I was so shocked, I almost asked her what she said- but then quickly realized that would be unwise, and refrained. In that instant, time stood still momentarily. I found myself running through a series of choices in how I could respond: 1- freak out, 2. lecture, 3. ignore it, 4. laugh, 5. punish her, 6. yell at Jeff. I decided on #7- explain that ladies never use words like that because they are not nice words. Explain that Daddy made a mistake and that he will try to be better in the future. Explain that Mama and Caiden, and Addison and Cinderella (the clincher!) never use naughty words because we are ladies: we are polite, and kind, and sweet. A few minutes later I hear Caiden talking to herself: "I'm a lady so I never will say "what the heck..." I looked at her sidelong and held her gaze until she got my point. Then she said, " What the hiccup? Yes, that is a funny word, and not a naughty word. Mama, I was just talking about hiccups. It's okay" Lord have mercy- she's two...I wasn't expecting this for another few years!

Add: wash Jeff's mouth out with soap and have Caiden watch what happens to people when they use naughty words.

Lists

2009-06-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

I'm a list-person. It might even go beyond that. Really. I LOVE lists. I think I'm an addict. I will write things down on my list just to cross them off and enjoy the sense of accomplishment it brings. Lately however, my lists are overwhelming me. I have several going at the same time for different upcoming events: the week ahead, grocery, packing for vacation, summer to-do, learning items for C, calls to return, emails to reply to, books I want to read, things I'm studying/want to study. Yikes. It makes me want to crawl into my little house and hide. And I'm not even working right now! =) I think that's part of the problem. During the school year I put so many things off to do "during the summer" that my list is too full. It was a system that was successful when I was child-less, but I'm thinking I need a new system... =) Part of me is toying with the idea of making a list of the lists that need to go. I'm only partially kidding. List I said, I'm an addict. =0P

Here are some of my summer to-do's- what's on your docket?

1. replace the elastic on C's old diapers for Addison.
2. study up on, research cheapest buying options and invest in some homeopathic remedies
3. Explore the senses with Caiden
4. STudy for my NIC test (National Interpreter Certification)
5. Figure out a sleep schedule that syncs our entire family- I'm a night owl, Jeff's an early riser, how can I get things done and still have time for my hubby?
6. Healthy new menu items the whole family enjoys
7. Figure out bed/room/ decor for girls- move C into bunk beds, switch rooms?
8. Prepare for my interpreting job at a medical conference.
9. Plan/ plant garden for fall
10. Plan/shop/pack for Michigan vacation

To Know or Not to Know- That is the Question

2009-06-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

For "Mrs." who asked me to compare knowing the baby's sex before hand, vs. not knowing until the birth day. My apologies for it's disorganization. Sleep deprivation and breastfeeding are to blame-both of which come with the territory and which I wholeheartedly embrace during this season!)=)

As you know, during my pregnancy with Addison, when the notorious 20 week sonogram rolled around, we chose not to find out her sex- at least not out-right. Actually we compromised initially because I really didn't want to know the sex of the baby, as we had already experienced what it was like to know before-hand with Caiden. But, Jeff was of the opinion that if you can find out, why wouldn't you? So we decided to have the sonogram technician put the secret in an envelope and seal it. The original plan was to go out to dinner as a family and have Jeff open it and tell us. However when we got there Jeff shocked me with his willingness to leave The Envelope as the Keeper of the Secret. We were, after all, half way through the pregnancy. However, I was convinced that the secret would be out before the baby was, because, who has that kind of will-power?! I will say that we hid The Envelope from view so it wasn't a daily temptation.

Long story short, we made it! Jeff was supposed to announce the baby's sex at birth, but our Doctor/friend forgot and excitedly announced: "it's a girl". It's was a short proclamation in the midst of a symphony of sounds and exclamations. I'm surprised it even registered in my hormone inebriated brain and during the climax of the birthing process. I don't think either of us would have thought to look for a little while. There's just something magical about the moment your child makes their appearance, and in that moment, nothing else really matters. I remember the announcement being startling at the time, not because I was surprised of Addison's gender, but because I had gotten used to bonding with my baby without gender playing a role. It hadn't been a factor in the development of our relationship. All of a sudden, this little one that was so bonded to me already had a face, and then suddenly a gender, and her person began to take shape in my mind. She was no longer just an idea, or spirit, or One-Causing-Me-to-Grow, my precious child, my teammate in the birthing process, but she had a physical qualities that weren't factors in the budding of our relationship while she was in my womb. Does that make sense?
I don't remember it being that way with Caiden. With her, we did find out, and she was our "Sweet Baby Girl" from that point on. I'm glad we found out with Caiden, because she was our first, and the miracle of pregnancy and childbirth is so hard to wrap your mind around, but knowing that she was a girl made it seem more real and more tangible. She was always just Caiden- my little girl, we had struggled together to get her here safely, we had learned together what it meant to be pregnant and how to become a mother. We had bonded as mother and daughter before she arrived. I don't remember my view of her changing after her arrival. Part of that may also be that the sonogram pictures we got of Addison were not clear at all. (She was constantly moving, and wouldn't be still long enough to get a good picture.) So we didn't have that glimpse of her developing face and form like we had of Caiden. (Whose sonogram pictures were mindbogglingly clear and look just like her newborn pictures!)

Both Jeff and I agree that it was more fun NOT knowing "what we got" before hand. We like surprises, and it seemed fitting that after the challenging pregnancy, and all of the work we did to give her the best possible birthing experience we could, that we get a nice surprise for our efforts.

I think it was probably beneficial for us that we didn't know in advance, because we likely would have subconsciously expected her to be like Caiden, and she is nothing like her sister in any way. We didn't have any preconceived notions about who or what she would be. It was a clean slate, and I think it was rather nice to begin getting to know HER face to face.
Unlike some, we weren't able to come up with a name for our girls before they made their appearance, and in fact both of them received their middle names several days following their births. So that definitely wasn't a differing factor in knowing the gender or not.

On a superficial level, it was nice to have been able to pick out and set up the nursery in advance with Caiden, Addison's room still isn't finished. =) As far as clothing goes, we had enough gender-neutral gowns and onesies to make it through the first few days, so I wasn't worried about that much if we had had a boy. Maybe as a first time Mom that would have been more challenging- there are so many unknowns, it's nice to be able to be organize and "prepared"- at least in the material sense. The second time around all I was concerned about was having diapers- the rest we could figure out easily enough. =)

So which do I prefer? I think not knowing is super fun, but given the chance, I wouldn't have changed the way we did it with our girls. Both ways were perfect for us at the time. If I do this a third time I don't know what I'd do. I think I'll leave that for another day- I've got two beautiful girls who need their Mama right now. =)

Some overdue pics of Addison's birth and early days

2009-06-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the delay in getting pictures up. Hopefully these will make up for the lost time. My goal is to get some recent photos up this week. I may add more birth pics later as I'm at home now and I know that more are on Mom's computer. For now, enjoy our journey!

This was immediately following the push that gave me the first glimpse of my precious daughter. What bliss!

This was Jeff's first glimpse, and immediately after he kissed me and said, "you did it!" =) =)

Addison's first portrait, sporting her "fussy, poopy-baby" face. That is what Jeff labeled the grimace before the flood when Caiden was tiny...Addison showing off her rendition right from the get-go. ;)

I like this picture because this was immediately after I was stitched up- I had walked into my room and climbed in bed myself with my baby in tow. Far cry from my experience of Caiden's birth where I was groggy, in pain, and unable to really hold my baby without assistance.

Seven hours after her arrival, they noticed some problems, and took her to the NICU. I was still on my "I just gave birth naturally, I'm on top of the world" high and couldn't really sleep, so I joined her in the NICU. This was taken the next day after they put in an IV to give her antibiotics. Not my favorite picture, but documents our journey.

Addison's nickname now is "Smiley". This picture caught the beginning of her HUGE sleep smiles that stopped Doctors and nurses in their tracks. Now she stares at people until they look at her and then she flashes her huge smiles. It's so cute.

First day home- thank you Jesus!!

Just days old and she had already mastered the wide-eyed take-everything-in gaze. Those cheeks are so kissable!!!

Caiden was so excited to really meet her sister- even if it was a week later (children were not allowed in the NICU, so other than a quick introduction on Addison's birth-day, this was the first time she was able to touch and hold her little sister. They love each other more every day!

I'll try and post more on Monday. For now it's getting late, and we have a busy weekend ahead of us! Good night!

More blessings

2009-05-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

179. For a new day and new mercies.
180. For a day of thunderstorms
181. For challah bread from Grandma that made delicious French toast this morning!
182. For new landscaping in the front yard
183. Nursing a baby to sleep
184. Watching my girls share the beginning of mutual sisterly love.
185. For pulling out Caiden's baby clothes for Addison and remembering when my big girl was tiny.
186. That we finally found a dresser on craigslist for Addison!
187. Two weeks left of school
188. Replanting the garden
189. For falling asleep last night to much needed rain.
190. Anticipating our vacation this coming weekend
191. Anticipating that God will provide the money we need to cover my insurance while I was on leave with the baby. Can't wait to see His creativity!!
192. For really good parenting talks and decisions with Jeff. Yeah for unity!
193. For our Sunday night laughs, fellowship, accountability and Bible study.
194. For watching my little girl play in the rain.
195. For 12 days/nights of potty training success!!
196. For our friend who babysits for us every week for free so we can have date night.
197. That money for date night appeared from an anonymous friend last week!!
198. For Jeff's wisdom in counseling/listening/loving on kids in our youth group.
199. For my khaki shorts being returned after their sojourn to TN.
200. That Addison is doing better in the car since we changed her car seat!

To Grandmother's House We Go

2009-04-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

Here are a few snapshots taken when we went to visit Big Grandma and Big Grandpa and G-Ma and Pi-Paw came to see us too! This is Big Grandma meeting Addison for the first time.

The sisters wore matching dresses that G-Ma bought them.

Special time with G-ma and Pi-Paw.

We didn't get one with Big Grandpa, but when we do I'll add those as well.

Happy Resurrection Day

2009-04-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some family pics taken on Easter Sunday: not writing much because I figured that with the girls changing so rapidly pictures would be worth a thousand potential words... That and it takes so long to download pictures and I don't have much time- you know how it is! ;)

My sweet girls- what good sports they were!

Addison Hope at two months.

Daddy's girl in every way.

We had a lovely day celebrating God's gift to us of new life in Him. The sermon that morning was probably the best Easter sermon I've ever heard. So joyful!! The creation around us was vibrant with the new life of Spring, and we also celebrated Addison's first Easter with our family. Oh happy day!

Recent Caiden quotes

2009-04-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

Overheard: "My sister can talk. She says, "guh".

One day in the car I pointed out azaleas and told her they come in red, pink, purple & white. Three days later we were driving again and she said" look Mama, azaleas! But just purple and white- not pink and red." (??!! Toddlers= steel trap!)

After asking her to help me with something, she said, "Mama, look at my eyes, look at my eyes (I obliged), do you see my hands? They are busy."

After a difficult bathroom trip, "Mama, I need more fiber."

When I told her our plans had changed and what we were going to do instead..."Actually, that's not a good solution."

After finding a particularly lovely daisy on our walk, "Thank you Jesus! This one is great!"

Blessings

2009-03-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

153. For a full heart and so many blessings.
154. That my birthday is in March
155. That March is the prettiest month- in FL
156. For a beautiful day
157. For my Mom, who knows me so well and just what thrills me (Gene Stratton Porter's "Her Father's Daughter" as a present!)
158. For my wrap- hands free baby wearing= Happy Mama and Baby!
159. For Jeff- who coached Caiden to tell me "happy birthday" this morning in the sweetest sleepy girl voice ever!
160. That the "terrible twos" phase we're experiencing mysteriously goes into hibernation around family and friends.
161. For sweet Addison smiles
162. For smiles and coos at two a.m. erasing the desire/need for sleep in the moment.
163. Cloth diapering Addison makes me happy! Yeah for deals and creativity!
164. Caiden singing, " spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down" 150 times in a row- and it's STILL cute! ;)
165. For the smile on Jeff's face as he listens to her sing it.
166. I'm thankful that I found a group of like-minded, educated (in the sense of knowledgeable- not formal education) and welcoming Mama's with sweet children.
167. For the anticipation of a date with Jeff tomorrow- childless!
168. For yummy food and sweet friends last night.
169. For Addison's eyelashes ;)
170. That Caiden loves her sister.
171. That Addison is here safely and is healthy
172. For Becky the L & D "VBAC Queen" nurse, Sheila- nurse in recovery who used to work at Special Beginnings and who discovered Addison was struggling.
173. For my Dr. who fudged the "rules" for me to get my VBAC
174. For the (continued) support of the ICAN Mamas
175. For my labor and delivery pictures courtesy of my wonderful mother in law!!
176. That Jeff is so intentional about his alone time with C.
177. For so many well wishes on my b-day.
178. For fun craft/learning time with C.

Parenting isn't for sissies!

2009-03-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

My good friend Allie moved to GA this week to follow a vision for their family- helping to sustain a church plant that really jives with their values, dreams for how they want to raise their boys, etc. I'm so happy for her, but so sad for us. Caiden will miss playing with their boys every Thursday while I work, and I will miss having a good friend nearby. That said, when she came over to say goodbye, we had the best conversation/ idea and we both ended up laughing like little girls at their first slumber party. We both agreed that it would make an excellent blog post, and even though I consider her a more talented writer, I think I can do it justice, and plus- I have computer access right now, and she doesn't know where hers is! ;)

So we were discussing how parenting isn't for sissies. I can't recollect what prompted that vein of conversation, but it was probably something related to a sticky substance that our offspring produce that somehow end up on our clothing. She shared with me an opinion that one of her acquaintances from college held about parents. They thought that people should have to take an IQ test and score a specific number in order to bear children. However, we both agreed that perhaps that wasn't the most appropriate assessment for parenting skill- perhaps something that could measure one's flexibility, creativity, and determination. How would you measure such non-tangible qualities? With a simulation, of course! The parent to be would be placed inside a room with a monkey for 36 hours, unable to shower, use the bathroom alone, or apply makeup.. From there, the prospective parent would have to accomplish certain tasks, like challenges (for all of you Survivor fans) within a certain time allotted, while their emotional and physical reactions are closely monitored.

The first challenge would be to capture the monkey and put him in clothing appropriate to the weather. The contestant's emotional response and verbal reaction will be carefully watched when the monkey refuses to wear a hat and pants, but insists on wearing galoshes to the park, and causes them to be late to the play date. Points will be deducted for every minute they are late. . Any inappropriate verbage will be interpreted into sign language and taught to the monkey to use at embarrassing moments like during church, or in front of Great Grandparents.

The next task will be to keep tabs on the monkey at the park, ensure it doesn't escape, to climb a tree too high, or consume any poisonous berries, but they are disallowed to restrain it in any way. When they both have worked up a healthy appetite, they must catch the monkey and give it a healthy lunch. When the monkey throws said lunch across the park, they are free to try again. When they think the monkey is full, they can eat their own lunch- they will need the energy! Of course the monkey will want to eat half of what they are eating, and the other half will be knocked from their hands onto the ground as they attempt to hold the monkey and eat at the same time. A good portion of that will make its way onto their clothes or perhaps into the monkey's hair.

Following the play date, they must bring the monkey back home and give it a bath. The amount of water on the "parent's" clothing and on the floor will be measured. When the monkey is clean, dry and clothed, they must convince the monkey to take a nap. Every time the monkey climbs out of the crib, screams, and for every minute the monkey generally does not sleep, points will be deducted. When the monkey is finally off into dream land, a second louder monkey will be released into the room. Any inappropriate yelling or language will be documented. Blood pressure and pulse rate will NOT be monitored for this part of the simulation.

The next challenge will involve making dinner. One must make an appetizer, entree, and dessert, coordinate the timing so their are all ready at the appropriate times, all while both monkeys climbs up their legs and perch on their head, or pulls all of the toys into the middle of the room taking special care to place legos right under foot. At this point, the prospective father will "arrive from work" and enter the scene. If he comments about the mother's hair being dirty, or her general appearance being sub-par, the house being a mess or dinner not ready, points will be deducted. Conversely, if he hugs the mother, tells her she's beautiful, thanks her for caring for the monkeys all day, says the meal smells great, or volunteers to clean up, points will be returned. If he kisses the mother unsolicited, he will receive a special cash bonus.

The last challenge for the first 24 hours will be to wake up every 2 hours with the monkey to feed it. (Several times the second monkey will wake up and need attending as well.

For the remaining part of the simulation, the parents must cope with their lack of sleep, reduced caloric intake, lack of alone time, and increased decibel level of the room. Depending on their teamwork, and the level of emotional support they offer, points will be added or deducted. If their marriage survives this simulation and the monkeys remain alive and healthy, and based on the points earned, then- and only then does the person earn the "right" to become a parent.

We're thinking of selling the idea to ABC for a new reality show- what do you think? (j/k- kind of) ;)

My Precious Addison Hope

2009-03-03T14:54:00.000-08:00

Introducing...Addison Hope!

In these pics she is three weeks old, but she is 4.5 weeks now. Here are some more.

Here is her birth story. Many of you know that Caiden was delivered via c-section because of her breech presentation. The "norm" these days is once a c/s, always a c/s. But I wasn't having it. My Mom (thank God for her legacy!) had six VBAC (vaginal births after cesarean) and I knew I could do it too. I didn't want to schedule major abdominal surgery while having a new born and a two year old. So, I made a deal with my OB, and worked and worked to get the baby in the right position, to stay in shape, and make sure my body was ready to do the job God created it to do. I found a doula who walked with me through the last few weeks of my pregnancy, prayed for me, and really gave me so much confidence that my VBAC was imminent. (Thanks Christine!!) The plan: wait until the last possible moment to get to the hospital so that I could avoid any unnecessary interventions. Now all I had to do is wait and be patient with my body.

I had prodromal labor with her for weeks prior to her birth. The week of her birthday, I was awake for three nights in a row with contractions every 5-15 minutes apart. After two nights of this I had an appt with my OB and found out that after all that work, I was only dialated at one cm, but the baby's head was VERY low. I was rather discouraged, to say the least. Wed. morning, after laboring all night, at 7 am they spaced out to one or two an hour- AGAIN. I was over it. So I got up and went in to work for my half day. I wasn't walking very fast as my back had begun hurting, and everyone asked me to please go home. Some even followed me around with their cell phones out just waiting to call 911 if I went into labor right there. I was NOT amused!! After work I went to my Mom's, put Caiden down for a nap, and cancelled the ASL class I teach my sisters in favor for venting to my ICAN sisters (International Cesarean Awareness Network- a support group that educates women about birthing options) online and a nap. I was grumpy and so tired. I dozed sitting up on my parent's couch and awoke in the middle of a nasty contraction that was all in my back. I asked my Mom to push on my back through the duration of it, and that helped a lot. However, something popped, and I didn't know what happened. Apparently I lost my mucus plug. Mom was sure my water had broken. I called my doula who reminded me that it could mean labor was starting, or it could mean we're two weeks away. That calmed me down and gave me a reality check. Mentally, I settled in for another few days of this. But then the contractions came. And came, and came, and came- closer and closer. At one point, I thought, now this is promising! ;) Both of my parents took turns helping me breathe through contractions and pushing on my back. When they weren't pushing on my back, the contractions hurt so much I almost panicked. But as soon as they pushed, I was able to regain control. There was a lot of calling back and forth to Jeff and my doula, much of which I don't really have a good time line on because I was a little preoccupied. =) I do remember Jeff asking at some point if I could hold on for another 6 hours until after youth group was over. In my head I thought we probably had a 12 hour labor in front of us, but the thought of him asking that question, and the idea that he wouldn't be there for "those 12 hours" elicited me hanging up on him for the first time ever! At one point my parents decided that we needed to move closer to the hospital - my Grandma lives practically across the street. Moving didn't sound fun, but I agreed. However, the contractions were closer than 2 min apart. I could barely take a few steps before managing another contraction. We were sitting on a piano stool because it was the only thing that allowed me to sit and gave Dad access to my back. So two steps, and someone shoved a stool under me. Up and a few steps more, and more piano stool. The neighbors must have thought we were insane. Two steps out the door, and my water breaks. Hmmm- I guess this is the real thing! =) My Mom drove, I kneeled in the back seat facing backwards, and Dad climbed in after me to push on my back. It was the hardest and funniest ride of my life. My emotions ranged from being annoyed at Dad for back seat driving (literally!), to thanking God for him with my whole heart, being ecstatic that we were going to meet our little peanut, to worrying that we would arrive at the hospital too soon and we'd have a fight on our hands, and hoping that I wasn't leaking all over the back seat of my car!! Half way there I wanted to push so badly. Dad kept telling me to blow- NOT PUSH- easy for him to say!! How do you stop a speeding freight train? You don't. So I tried not to assist my body, but there was only so much I could do.

Upon arriving in the ER bay there was a lot of discussion about where they would park, and if we had called ahead. I remember thinking- what is this, take out? I'm having a baby here people! Finally someone found me a rickety old one foot rest-ed wheelchair and RAN for her life. I opened my eyes long enough to watch people scatter as she ran with me up to L & D. The mental picture still makes me laugh. When we got up to triage, the nurses were panicked. They knew I was a VBAC and they were scared. (Winter Park Hospital has a defacto ban on VBACs- they just don't do them!) They wanted me to change into their gown, get on the bed and be checked like a nice little girl. But all I knew was that I was listening to my body and maybe that included following their directions, and maybe it didn't. I also was feeling a little protective because I was alone up there now, and didn't have anyone to support me in my attempts, no one putting pressure on my back, and I felt like I needed to stall. So after a series of contractions I jumped up on the bed backwards, kneeling over the back of the bed. Ahh, that felt better. But now I really WAS pushing. Finally I figured that feeling the baby's head descending was a good sign and I could allow them to check me. 9.5 and stretchy. I grinned like a jack-o-lantern. I had done it! I had made it there on MY time table. It was like time stopped and everything was in slow motion. That is, until the nurses realized that "I wasn't going to get my c-section"- no really?! One of them kept shoving an epidural consent form in my face and telling me to sign it "just in case" even though I kept telling her NO DRUGS!!! I remember saying, "just let me push my baby out and we'll be fine!" Finally Jeff came in and took over- no more nurses bothering me again! =) Christine arrived and was my encouragement and let me squeeze the bones out of her hand. None of the nurses were happy with me and they were really unhappy when they discovered that we had been PLANNING this, AND my Dr. was in on it with me. (Thank you Jesus for Dr. Wilson!!!!) But there was ONE L&D nurse that breezed in, and said, "honey, you've got the VBAC Queen here- I've had three of them, and we've got this!" I seriously think she was an angel sent from God. So there I was, my support team was there like walls around me, Jesus had paved my path and I was ready. I pushed for about 15 minutes and our little girl slid out to meet us. It was the most amazing moment of my life. I felt like I was on top of the world. I do NOT love Addison MORE than I love Caiden, but I DO love her birth so much more!! I think I'm still high from her delivery and the experience of my body working in submission to the will of the God who created me. Some women say that they have to forget the pain of birth before they can have another pregnancy, but I loved that process so much I would do it again today. (I am NOT however ready for another new born, or another pregnancy, or weeks of contractions, so having #3 is not a given- Jeff would be quick to tell you!) God is SO good!!! Thank you Jesus for a healthy, beautiful, precious baby girl and a quick and safe arrival!!!

Birth pictures to follow later. =)

So Much!

2009-01-30T16:05:00.000-08:00

131. I'm thankful it's Friday!
132. That I made it to my baby shower at my school today (I was on bed rest the last time and didn't get to have one)
133. For so many sweet coworkers to celebrate with me
134. For Orange Chicken (my fast food weakness)
135. That I didn't have to cook dinner tonight.
136. That Caiden has gotten in some good Grandparent time this week.
137. That I've discovered Caiden's love languages: quality time and physical touch.
138. That I continue to feel good even though I'm weeks away from delivery.
139. For dinner with our doula last night- what a blessing she is and a fabulous pillar of support.
140. That when I went to buy Caiden a pair of jeans they were 50% off!
141. For the book: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth- sounds hokey, but is a wealth of info and so inspiring!
142. For when C. says, "Mama, let's talk" - this week she said, "your word is innocent, my word is exactly- what's it mean?"
143. That Caiden was dry for two days and got to try out "big girl panties". She had an accident, but she's learning!
144. That I get to see my family tomorrow to celebrate my Dad's birthday and we're all pitching in to make some YUMMY food!
145. That even though I'm large, I can at least fit into a FEW things. =)
146. That I'm going to meet my baby soon!!!
147. For my sweet husband and how he pitches in even when he's exhausted.
148. That after the baby comes we're going to take swing dancing lessons! I can't wait!!
149. That my body is really trying to fight off this cold.
150. For sunshine after a drizzly, dreary day.
151. That my body is working hard to prepare for delivering this baby.
152. For Caiden's squeals of appreciation over a pink and purple sunset and her exultation, "God made that- thank you God!"

That's all for now. I'm hoping to start researching some different pre-preschool learning ideas soon. Caiden is blowing my mind with her understanding and curiousity, and love of learning and I really need to start thinking about how to best cultivate that. I'm not interested in creating a child-genius, just one that delights in learning, being curious, and using her imagination. As it is, she knows ALMOST her entire alphabet, she can identify about half of those letters and place it with an appropriate word that represents it (Look- there's a B, B is for Baby), she can count from 1-12 and can label numbers of objects with the appropriate number. And we really haven't even tried. As we read I'll point things out, and she has seen the ABC Signing Time and has learned a lot from it, but other than that, she's just picking it up on her own. So, I think it's about time for me to start trying to come up with activities/opportunities before she does. =) Any books, websites, ideas, milestones, etc. not only about academic learning, but other kinds of horizon expansions would be appreciated. Thanks!!!

Feeling settled

2009-01-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

101. that for the first time in months I'm feeling calm, settled, and ready for this baby.
102. That we found a crib on craigslist just like Caiden's but a lighter wood, for $5 less than we paid for hers! (She's still in hers.)
103. For a warm and snuggly robe- good for middle of the night nursing sessions.
104. That I was introduced to a WAHM business that I can support- loveyduds.com - she's making my carrier for the baby!
105. Cherishing snuggles with Caiden and quiet moments in our one child household for a few more weeks.
106. That Jeff is watching Caiden on Wed. AND Fridays now- C. LOVES it!!
107. For a surprise call from Kris- it's snowing at her house in TN!
108. That Caiden thinks that her Daddy is her Prince- just like Cinderella. =)
109. That Jeff got to stay home this weekend after all.
110. For another good harvest of carrots
111. that my "MUST do before the baby comes" list is almost done
112. that Caiden's tricycle has a handle so I don't have to bend over and push her around the block!
113. that the baby is active and strong
114. for yummy new recipes
115. that I got to see Heather and Michael for a few minutes the other night.
116. that Caiden delights me every day with something new
117. that Caiden's favorite musician is Laura Story =)
118. for cold weather- and heat!
119. that we DID find a doula- PTL!!!
120. that even though we've given up our scented laundry detergent for one that is healthier for us and the environment, at least I can enjoy the neighbor's laundry days on our walks. ;)
121. that Caiden has started saying, "Mama....remember?" and telling me about something we did before, yesterday, or in the past- too cute!
122. that when Jeff went to pick up the crib today that Caiden thought that meant that "baby Peanut" was coming home today too. She was so excited to "meet baby Peanut". Try explaining THAT to a 2 year old! "But WHY Mama?"....
123. that I am so incredibly blessed
124. for garlic bread
125. for squirrels with cheeks full of nuts, and Caiden laughing at them and saying they are her friends (how appropriate for her to recognize a kindred spirit- two food lovers!)
126. that C. has learned to "nurse" her doll, and then promptly "burp" it, and the eruption of giggles after every burp is almost too much.
127. for Gene Stratton Porter's gift with words
128. for a slower day tomorrow
129. for the scent of clean
130. that I'm going to bed now! =) Good night!

More thankfulness- sorry I've been slacking!

2009-01-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

71. that Peanut is now vertex (head down) and has remained that way for two months!!!!!
72. that we were able to clean out our house over the break to prepare for Peanut's arrival.
73. That my two days of Braxton Hicks 5 min apart were NOT early labor!
74. For time with the Michigan Walter's while they were here for Heather's wedding.
75. For laughing until all of my muscles ached today- not once- but twice!
76. that it's FRIDAY!!! =)
77. That we have next Friday off!
78. For watching Caiden wolf down eggplant and zucchini tonight.
79. For a cool start to the morning, and a beautiful sunny day
80. For Caiden's "Mama, I luth (love) God" after she found out why there were crosses on churches.
81. For her theological questions that I don't know how to answer.
82. For watching her sing, sign and dance to "Signing Time" songs
83. Possibly finding a doula!
84. For an amazing night of God showing up on Wednesday with the kiddos.
85. For a caring work environment
86. For a peaceful heart
87. For watching God answer prayer
88. For devotions with my husband!
89. For a good solid 5 hours of sleep last night- at one time!
90. that I can trust God to provide for us
91. For Christmas trees/lights, and then having it put away again.
92. For beautiful weather on the day of Caiden's birthday/ party
93. That she loves her cousins
94. That we've all been healthy for a few weeks now- thank you Jesus!
95. that my little one will be here in a few short weeks!
96. For my "littlest" sisters who bless me by loving on Caiden so freely.
97. for walks behind our house.
98. that I can go to bed early tonight
99. that I can make a big breakfast tomorrow- one of my favorite things in the world!
100. for the book Jeff and I are reading together "Love Dare"

Christmas break

2009-01-05T18:19:00.000-08:00

This break has been wonderful and I'm not looking forward to returning to work this week. Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures of the big things that happened: celebrating Jesus' birthday, Caiden's second birthday party, or Heather's wedding. But, I know that my Mom does, so when I get a chance to get over there, I'll be sure and post again.

Here are a few to tide you over in the meantime. Here we are making a birthday cake for Jesus.

Every Christmas Eve we go to the Christmas Pagent at church, go out to dinner, and then home to open gifts as a family. Christmas Day we have a party for Jesus and eat cake. This year our plans changed when Caiden fell asleep on the way home from dinner and we had to wait to open gifts until Christmas day. Here is our family picture taken on Christmas Eve after church.

This last one is of Caiden enjoying her Christmas present- an easel, paint, and Winnie the Pooh painting pages. As you can see, she's delighted!

Her birthday party was actually ON her birthday this year (two days after Christmas) and all of our extended family came! That is, except for Pipaw who was on a trip (he's a pilot) and Papa who was called out that morning to investigate a crash (he's a highway patrolman). It was sad that they weren't there, but at least Caiden got to talk to them on her special day. Even Aunt Kris called from Tennessee to wish her a happy day! Several of her friends couldn't come due to colds. =( We played at a park, ate pizza, fruit, veggies, and cupcakes, and opened gifts. Daddy gave her a xylophone, I gave her a baby sling that I sewed for her, and her birthday book (a scrap book of her second year).

I'll write more later, but for now I'm off to bed! This last month of pregnancy is more exhausting than I remember! =)

Kristin and Aaron's wedding

2008-11-10T10:22:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pics to tide you over. =) Unfortunately I don't have any with the groom yet, but as I get them, I'll share.

Notice the binky and blanket...this was pre-wedding and post a missed nap time...it was getting sketchy.

This is the other side of the family- Jeff's wonderful parents who came to help with Caiden.

And last but not least, a decent picture of the baby bump! =) (and me signing)

Thankfulness and cute conversations

2008-11-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

Thankfulness has been primary on my mind for the last few weeks, even before the November's onset. As a result, I'm going to pick up my "blessings list" where I so pitifully left off at number 30.

I am thankful...

31. for cool weather
32. for bear and turkey sightings in our very own back yard
33. that Caiden says, "naughty bear" with a disapproving shake of her head when the bear raids our neighbor's trash can and makes a mess (visible from our side window)
34. for warmer maternity clothes being offered to me
35. for a baby who has remained transverse for the last few weeks vs. breech! (we're still praying for a vertex (head down) position very soon so I can relax! =)
36. for daily walks and or picnics
37. for Caiden's dolly stroller that held one Dolly, one blanket, and 47 acorns at the culmination of an afternoon walk.
38. for a friend arriving on my door step with chocolate mousse that was to die for!
39. that Caiden is starting to love "baby Peanut", touching and kissing my belly, asking to hug it, and hold it.
40. for the look on Caiden's face when the baby kicked her while sitting on my lap. She was delighted!!!
41. for getting to see my sweet sister even if it was for an incredibly short time before her wedding.
42. for her beautiful wedding
43. that Caiden made it down the aisle- thanks to Allie Brannon!!
44. for Allie and the wonderful care that she gives my daughter while I have to work.
45. for wonderful in-laws who came to the wedding to care for Caiden during the ceremony and afterwards so that I could participate.
46. for getting to see old friends at Kristin's wedding
47. that Caiden slept until 7:50 this morning!
48. for my sweet husband who takes care of me
49. for the amazing ways in which God is moving in our youth group
50. for getting to see Caroline, my college roommate/ Kristin's photographer on Saturday

That's all for now, as I want to share some cute conversations while I have a minute. (Caiden is sleeping)

I'll save the best for last. Hang tight!

Today on our walk, she started asking questions and didn't stop: "Mama, I can run real fast?" (of course, ready, set go!) , "Mama can run fast. Caiden is too little?" (no, Caiden is just the right size for running "speedy quick", can you show me?) Mama, this ant's house? (yes, don't step on it, they worked hard to make that home!) Mama diff'rent acorns? (yes, they are acorns from different trees, you're right!) "Mama, this leaf fits!!?? " (she found the sycamore tree that had shed a beautiful brown, green and yellow leaf the size of her head, and still had many other perfectly matching brown, green and yellow leaves decorating it's branches.) "Mama, dog barking. He want food?" (or maybe he's just lonely and saying, "hello!") "Oh, YELLOW TREE!!! Caiden touch it? Oh, one- two!" (Yes, there are two beautiful yellow trees that God made, let's cross the street and see them closer!) "Mama, I WANT it! Caiden have it?" (sorry sweet girl, they (the trees that were covered in brilliant yellow blooms) are growing in this yard, but we can visit them again soon, okay?) "Caiden go bed now?" (Okay, let's go home and eat lunch- then you can take a nap.)

We didn't get much of the lunch down before she begged for bed and started drooping in her seat. =)

Second story:
Yesterday at my 11th grade girls small group we were going around and sharing things we were thankful for. Caiden was sitting in my lap and snacking. On a whim, I asked her what SHE was thankful for. She promptly answered,"swimming." Hmm, maybe she did understand the question! When the went around the circle for a second time, I asked her again. She thought for a minute and said, "Jesus". (No one else had mentioned swimming or Jesus until now, btw.) I thought maybe she didn't understand what she was saying so I asked for clarification. Caiden, why are you thankful for Jesus? She said simply and seriously, "for love Caiden!" Of course. We love Him because He first loved us! There's nothing quite as beautiful as the faith of a 22 month old!

Wedding pictures will follow in a separate post. They take too long to upload and I don't want to chance losing what I've already written! Have a thankful day!

New Caiden-isms

2008-10-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try and make this short. "Why" you ask? It's been a long week, I'm exhausted, Jeff's going to be gone all day tomorrow, and I'm sick again. =(

Caiden counts like so: One, Two, Thee, Four, Five, (pause) Seven, Eight Nine!

She stole my sister's phone the other day and said this:" Hi G-Ma! Yeah. Toes, paint! Yeah. Wuv you. Bye bye!" (G-Ma is the only one who paints her toes and apparently, she was due for a tune-up! ;)

She calls plums "apple-grapes".

I was teaching her her full name and instead of McLaughlin (let's face it- it's an impossibly LONG name for a 21mo old!) she actually made it LONGER in the funniest way. "Mickey-laughlin" is the way to say it in Caiden-land. I laughed so hard I cried. If she only knew how appropriate that was with her family on the McLaughlin side. =)

When she woke up one morning this week, I picked her up and brought her out to the kitchen. She's a early to rise, and quick to eat kind of girl, you see. She tapped my shoulder and said, "Mama, geen (green) five!" I didn't follow her line of thinking, so I said, "I don't understand, tell me again". Very obligingly she clarified, "Mama shirt, geen, Mama cup geen, Caiden cup geen." AHHH. She was right about them all being green and all being in the same vicinity, however, I corrected her counting- there were THREE green things, not five. She knowingly nodded her head and said a little sheepishly, " yes, geen thee."

Her new favorite things are the Signing Time DVDs. As much as I don't let her watch TV, or movies, for this, I cave. What can be better than videos for kids that increase their spoken and signed vocabulary? I mean, if you're speaking of sticking them in front of the tube for 20 min. that is. She is allowed to watch it a few times a week (2-3) and she's mastered almost all of the signs they introduce. I'm stoked! We found them in the Orange County Library so we can enjoy many more than if we had bought them. However, I'm so impressed with the conceptual accuracy of the videos, and the idea and Mom behind the series, that I really do want to support that. I'm adding them to her Christmas/ birthday wish list. =)

She's not currently very receptive to the idea of having another sibling. Any time people touch my belly to feel the baby kick, she gets upset and says, "no no no!" Tonight she was being very rambunctious, and Daddy explained that she had to be careful near Mama's belly because there was a little baby inside. She made her common protests, and when Daddy explained that she could hold the baby and play with the baby, go on walks with the baby, swim in the pool, take baths, etc. with baby, she all of a sudden looked like that didn't seem half bad. She even asked, "bike ride with baby?" which is one of her all time favorite things to do right now. Maybe she'll get used to the idea after all! Either way, we're praying for them to have a wonderful relationship, love each other, and for this not to rock Caiden's world too harshly.

Lastly, we have a sonogram on Monday morning. We're going to ask the technician to write down the baby's sex on a piece of paper and open it together at dinner that night. We'll decide if we're going to share that information with the world at that time. We're a little excited about the intimacy of just our little family "knowing" this baby. That way the announcement at delivery will still be fun, full of anticipation, and yet have the benefit for Jeff of not being surprised. =) .

Okay, my short post has turned long. It's time for bed. Sweet dreams!

A moment in time

2008-09-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

I have caught the first gunk of the school year. Lovely, huh? And because I'm pregnant, and chasing a toddler and trying to keep up with life and working part time, when Caiden took her nap this afternoon, I watched a movie. I didn't have high hopes for it, I just wanted to pass the time. It actually was okay. Caiden woke up from her slumber right as the credits began rolling.

Waking up from nap time is my favorite time of the day with my little monkey-girl. She's still groggy and cuddly and sweet. It's the only time, besides comforting boo-boos that she climbs into my lap to just "be". Maybe today it caught my attention because of my awareness of how quickly my lap will be obstructed, or maybe it was knowing that this time just between Mama and toddler is quickly going to be Mama, toddler and Peanut. Or maybe, it was just one of those moments that seem to slow way, way down, that attract your whole attention and leave you grateful. I don't know. But I do know that what happened next was pure magic. As the credits were rolling, a catchy little tune started playing. I wasn't really aware of it until Caiden pulled away from our little cocoon of Mama, baby and blanket and started bobbing her little curly bed-head. I watched her for a minute, just delighting in her. She didn't notice. Something about this song had engrossed her. Before I could blink, she had slid off the couch and was dancing like I had never seen her dance before. She was swaying her hips so far I thought she was going to fall over. Somehow at the same time she was bouncing at her knees, up and down...sway, sway. And then came the head bobs. Up and down, left and right. I would have told you it couldn't get any cuter, but then she started staccatto-ing the dance with claps. She grinned so hard the binkie popped out. I couldn't help myself- I laughed out loud. She reeled around to look at me then and the thought of the dance being over was just too sad, so I copied her. She was so proud. She jumped right back in where she left off- sway, bounce, nod, clap- looking something like a drunken sailor or a tribal dancer. I'm not sure, but I'm sure of one thing. That dance party was the most fun I'd had in a long time. There's nothing like a toddler to teach you to live in the moment. What an indescribable blessing. I will hold onto the sweetness of that memory tomorrow when she calls my name 1,000 times in ten minutes and consider NOT changing my name. =)

WHEW!!!

2008-09-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a summer. I would apologize for not keeping up with the blog, but if you knew what we've been experiencing this summer, you wouldn't even give it a second thought. Trust me. =)

I may try and process some of our experiences this summer at another time, but for now, I'd like to make an exciting announcement:
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER BABY!!! =) =)
I am currently 17 weeks pregnant- surprise! The baby is due at the end of Feb. I am finally feeling good again. Thank you Jesus! The first three months were pure torture. I barely left my house. Forget church, youth group, or anything absolutely essential. I had morning sickness from 9:30-11:30, and then from 2:30-7:30 or so. (I slept when Caiden napped from 12:00-2:30 every day) That gave me a few hours in the morning to go grocery shopping, or get meals ready for the day (because if it didn't get done then, it wasn't happening!) It was not fun. But it gave me a new appreciation for my normally good health, and for women who experience that their entire pregnancy!
We had to wait until week 12 to tell out parents for various reasons, and then I didn't want to post until after I told my principal, which I finally got a chance to do yesterday. =)So, now you know what I've been doing this summer- growing another little Peanut! =) (Among other things, of course.) I'll share about the rest of it another time. For now, I just wanted to celebrate!!

More blessings

2008-07-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

17. That 13 year old Addison (from our youth family) is now dancing with Jesus and is once again healthy after a four year battle with an unknown disease.
18. That we have a church family that surrounds us as we walk through the messiness of grief.
19. Twice baked potatoes- 'nuf said!
20. For dear friends who after out growing their Little Tykes pool, gave it to us for Caiden.
21. The sheer delight that moves over her face as she slides down the pool's slide.
22. For negative test results!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (we had to test Caiden for Cystic Fibrosis this week...how's that for terrifying?!)
23. That Dr's are wrong, and God is big!
24. For peppermint tea
25. Watching Caiden playing with her cousins, Connor and Landon
26. For our public library that is so close to our house that we get to walk to it.
27. For the rare opportunity to read a historical novel
28. Re-reading anything my Gene Stratton Porter
29. For my husband who spent the entire day working in the yard, garage, cars, etc. and now everything OUTSIDE of our house is gorgeous! =)
30 For a patient husband who knows that I'll get the house spotless someday...and that I really do try. =)

More joy/blessings

2008-06-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

Several people have inspired me to list 1,000 blessings so I'll continue from my previous post.

4. Fresh green beans straight from the bush- yum.
5. Butterflies breaking the monotony of weeding the garden with their gentle beauty.
6. Dancing in the rain with my baby-girl.
7. When Caiden comes and grabs my hand and says, "C'Mon.....sit" and then she lets me in on her world of pretend and play.
8. Kissing her neck under her chin and feeling her dissolve into giggles- the most delicious baby place to kiss.
9. Feeling the hand of God still my heart when I become afraid.
10. Curling up with a good book.
11. Blueberry pancakes- a perfect start to any day.
12. Watching my husband talk about his trip to Honduras and the children who stole his heart...pray for Jesus- he has heart surgery tomorrow!!!
13. Our one Saturday a month tradition of eating bagels for breakfast and watching a Western...with John Wayne, of course!!
14. Watching Caiden pause to appreciate the call of a cardinal and that of his distant responder.
15. Doubling up laughing after Caiden points to my face and declares, "pimple" with her popping "p" sound and sweet high voice. That's the result of "hanging" with her teenage Aunts- I'm sure of it!!
16. Rain drops hitting the window pane when it's time to sleep.

Okay, that's all for today. Stay tuned for more later!

Things that bring me joy

2008-06-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

I cannot explain how peaceful and joyful I feel watching my laundry dance and sway in the wind as it dries. WHY is this such a cherished thing??? I honestly have no idea!

Afternoon thunderstorms are another joy for me.

Watching Caiden love her Daddy. Priceless!

More later...my JOY has awakened from her nao!

I tag...

2008-06-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

I tag..... Kathleen http://www.loveoirs.com, , Kaylyn http://followingforward.blogspot.com, Dawn http://rigelzoonews.blogspot.com and Angela http://babymonkeymomma.blogspot.com . Each of these women add a unique and wonderful aspect to my life making it more rich and full because of their presence.

I know that you are ALL busy, but I would love to know more about all of you. Happy blogging! =)

Tagged!

2008-06-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

I have never been virtually tagged either Allie! I'm not sure what that says about my blogging popularity or prowess, but I'll stop whining now and get down to business. Hmmm...I'm to write six little known facts about myself. It reminds me of the game we played as children, Two Truths and A Lie. Except this time, no lies. Okay, here goes:

1. Someday I would love to have a big front porch with a porch swing. I mourn the lost art of front porch socializing. Can you tell that my love language is quality time? =)

2. I want to backpack through Europe, ride the rails and stay in the youth hostels before I die- preferably when I can hike without invoking great pain and exhaustion. If that's not motivation enough for staying (getting!) in shape, I don't know what is!

3. I have had three interesting business ideas in the last 6 months: a children's book store boasting story times, crafts and snacks all themed; a store geared toward natural parenting; and a temp. controlled nursing tent for when outdoor activities and hungry babies attempt to coexist. However, I think this season of my life is going to require my full attention at least for a few years.

4. I am the highest qualified/certified ASL interpreter at my school and among three in my entire county. It's a sad commentary on the state of educational interpreting in my state. Perhaps if they recognized our accomplishments in some way, "cough- money!" it would help in encouraging interpreters to pursue further certification/ education. But no one asked me, and life is hard enough around here with all the budget cuts. So sad. These kiddos deserve better.

5. I was home schooled 1st through 12th grade and loved every minute of it. Actually I can't lie...I despised long division for a while there, but I got over it!

6. My favorite thing to do with Caiden right now is hold hands and pray. She bows her head, and blinks her eyes funny, and mumbles something cute. When I think she's finished, I say AMEN! Sometimes she solemnly looks at me and says, "no" while quickly re-bowing her head . So sweet! My least favorite thing to do with Caiden is go shopping (shopping has been low on my totem pole for years though so if you know me well, this doesn't surprise you.

That's all for now. I'm going to bed now. I'll tag someone else later!
Good night!

Garden update

2008-05-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

Well, the sunflowers are blooming much to the delight of Jeff, Caiden, myself and the bees! Here are some pictures as promised. They are not very good, but I had to make it quick- Caiden was preparing to harvest our eggplant seedlings. =)

Remember when the sunflowers were barely touching Caiden's knees?

Then garden has given us so many beans we've begun freezing them. The lettuce is doing great and so are the onions. We were having so much fun that we dug out another plot. It's about 4x12 feet and home to more eggplant, and tomatoes. Yes, we gave in and are trying the tomatoes again. We placed lots of marigolds in there as well to hopefully make the soil less inviting to nematodes.

In addition to the new plants, we have seen lots of beautiful butterflies- Monarchs, Zebras, Black Swallowtails, and others whose names I do not know. We've also welcomed bees who have been mighty happy with the sunflowers and marigolds. The blackberries are also ripe now, but we're hard pressed to find many- seems to me that the animals may have beat the to us. But we like to go down there and look anyway because there's a huge mess of some plant that the butterflies love. It's like going to a butterfly garden or something- they are so thick that often they run into you. I'll try to snap a picture soon.

Well, that's all for now- the couch climber/runner has awakened from her nap. On duty again! =) Enjoy this beautiful day!

Delighting in Toddlerhood

2008-05-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

We have had some pretty wonderful "firsts" around here lately, along with some not so enjoyable new experiences (teething those molars and the ensuing misery of the experience, missing Daddy when he was out of town for three days, and experimenting in tantrums) but in an effort to focus on the joy and not get bogged down in the exhaustion of disciplining and navigating the push and pull of our alternating independent/ needy little girl I want to share the joys. If you're a Mama, have fun reminiscing, or anticipating and if you're enjoying a different season of your life, just enjoy the mental imagery. =)

The first discovery of a rolly-polly bug went something like this: Oh look Caiden, this is a rolly polly! Watch! (I picked it up and induced it to curl into it's protective position. Caiden: OOH! Ball! (she looks into my eyes happily) Me: Yes, it IS like a ball, but watch...(we stand there quietly for a few seconds and the bug cautiously begins to unfurl. Caiden gasps, grabs my hand and pulls it close to her to watch, nose almost touching my hand. When the bug crawls onto her hand she squealed in surprise, flung it across the yard and crawled up me like a little monkey. As soon as she was safely tucked into my arms she grinned ear to ear and signed and said, "MORE!"

She has discovered running now and almost cannot be coaxed to enjoy sitting in her stroller. Yesterday she terrorized half a dozen pigeons who were trying to peck up the bread being liberally flung at them by another toddler. She chased them around for a good 30 minutes. Finally she found 2 slower ones and targeted them. Several times she ALMOST touched them. Once she got frustrated and implored me with big eyes and an attempt to sign "help". I couldn't help but laugh...she had a better chance of catching one without me!

We went searching for ripened blackberries in our "back yard" (the slope past our yard toward the creek) this weekend, and were delighted to find a few. Blackberry vines are very thorny, so I would just point them out to her and watch her eyes widen with wonder and excitement. I gave her a few and then ate half of one. The next time I handed her a berry, she generously "offered" it to me by thrusting it into my mouth and grinning proudly. In the end both of us were covered in the sweet purple juice and smiling. (Lemon juice and vinegar got out the stains!)

While I was helping Jeff with the silent auction preparations, I let Caiden entertain herself by drawing on a paper with a pen (the only thing I could find that would keep her in my sight for a few minutes at a time). I stripped her down and let her go to town. Apparently her stroke was strongest when it was closest to her body, and I looked up to find a very tatooed daughter and an almost clean sheet of paper. I had to stifle a full blown laugh at the look of complete intrigue on her face. What a fun new experience! Don't worry, we did talk about the better places for writing (paper!!!).

On a different note: can anyone share some creative ideas for teaching a toddler about Jesus? Where did you start? We talk to Jesus together during the day, we say "who loves Caiden? Mama loves Caiden, (Daddy and Jesus) to which she always replies with a happy sigh. But I am curious to hear how others have introduced this non-concrete concept to such concrete thinkers.
Thanks!

April is Cesarean Awareness Month

2008-04-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

So, after Caiden was born via c-section because of her breech (non-head down) position, I joined a group called International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) to help me get a handle on the emotional and physical challenges of delivering a baby this way. ICAN is an organization that works to educate woman about c-sections, their prevalence, how to avoid them, and how to prepare them for future vaginal births after a c/section. (VBAC) They also offer chapters all over the US which work like support groups and often work to advocate for the rights of birthing women in their area. You may be wondering why it is important to advocate for the "rights" of birthing Mama's....isn't that what our Dr.'s are for? Well, I'll answer that question with one of my own: When one in THREE women deliver by cesarean section and the national c-section rate in American is double the recommended number allowed by the World Health Organization and within the top 5 countries for c-section rates, should we perhaps take a closer look ourselves at our birthing choices?

I did a survey of my friends and found that of 15 of my friends, 5 had regular vaginal births in a hospital (one was a homebirth transfer last minute), four had homebirths (one had 2 of them!) and 9 of us had cesarean sections. And that's not even counting the girls I know from my Orlando chapter of ICAN who have ALL had at least one c/s.Those are not good odds.

The rise in c-sections has been explained by a few factors: litigation, malpractice insurance making demands of the Dr. to stay with a laboring woman during the ENTIRE duration of her VBAC labor, and also to have a anesthesiologist on the premisis the entire time in case of an emergency c/s, as well as convenience issues of a Dr. to be able to schedule an hour surgery vs. a 20 hr labor, and not have to waken in the middle of the night. There are also doctor and hospital protocols about inductions- after a certain number of hours if you do not progress according to their time table, you're an automatic c-section. Also, most hospitals have imposed VBAC bans (yes, I did really say BANS) on their patients. They have made them "illegal" because of insurance carrier's demands on their staff for VBACS. These are REAL factors, I didn't just make them up. They aren't pretty, but they are real.

I feel that Caiden's arrival via c-section was necessary. She was a footling breech with the cord wrapped around her neck keeping her high in my uterus (she would not descend on her own) and she was experiencing a marked deceleration in her heart rate during contractions.

I also DO believe that there are times when c-sections are necessary, life-saving and beneficial medical interventions.

However, I am guessing that a vast majority of births this way would have been unnecessary had there been less intervention by the medical professions who are "managing" our labors. With this in mind, I think it is important to help educate women about their choices, and about the risks involved in such a complicated surgical procedure. That's why I just want to point out that April is Cesarean Awareness Month. My hope is that if women are more informed before they go into labor (or better yet, before they get pregnant and have "baby brain") perhaps we will have better outcomes for Mama's and babies. Because who would choose to go through unnecessary major abdominal surgery while they're adjusting to a new baby and learning to breastfeed?! Not I!

Garden Baby

2008-04-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

During the days you have not heard from us, we have been enjoying our garden and the lovely weather. I wanted to share some cute pictures with you. The first one is Caiden checking on her sunflowers. They were small here, but now are double her size. Pretty soon we will have blooms...when we do, I'll be sure and share them!

This is Caiden's first real experience planting in the garden. I would drop in the seeds, and she would cover them...in theory. =) This season we have planted organic squash, beans, garlic, onions, lettuce, carrots and eggplant. Everything is doing quite well. We gave up on the FL tomatoes though...at least for this year.

The last two pics are from Easter- the first is a picture of playing in the leaves with Aunt Kris, Aunt Sarah, and Uncle Tim- it's my favorite!

Notice the yellow flower in her hand. At our church on Easer they have a wire framed cross that you can stick fresh flowers into. It's beautiful at the end of the morning when it's full of colorful reminders of new life. Caiden took her flower and then decided that it was too pretty to leave behind. She carried the poor crinkled, wilting bloom around for at least an hour.

I am loving this stage of our journey together. Caiden is so much fun exploring the world around her. Her favorite thing is to go "ut-sai" (outside) and everyday she exults in the chirp of a bird (Mama, BUD), croak of a frog (Mama, FOG), a cricket's song (oh, oh!), or the joy of wind blowing in her hair. That is the funniest part, she throws her head back and fluffs her hair in the back when the wind blows....so precious! So, if you don't hear much from us right now, you know why! Life is too short to spend it all blogging! =)

We're walking!!!

2008-03-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah! It has happened! Monday was the big day. For those of you who do not know, for the last two or three months, Caiden has been insistent that she walk- with my pinky finger.. just to be safe. If I tried to remove said finger, the "jello legs" would appear, tears would burst forth, and she would become hysterical. Every once in a while when she forgot, or was distracted she would take a few steps and then promptly collapse on the ground remembering that she was "supposed" to be hysterical. For the most part, I just went with it- she wanted to walk with my finger...so be it. I knew she would walk on her own in her own good time. Some times I wasn't so patient and really felt frustrated. There was no reason why she should be so cautious- no big falls, nothing. Except that she is Caiden, and Caiden seems to perfect things before she actually tries them. (mouthing words before using her voice, practicing crawling months before she actually did it (also late!) etc.)

So, in case you're dying to hear how it happened: All morning I noticed that she was willingly taking a few steps in between the furniture as she was playing. So, I moved all of the pieces of our sectional couch farther apart. So far so good. When that went over without a hitch, I led her to the middle of the living room and tried the same tactics I'd been trying for the last few months. She was not amused. In a last ditch effort, I stuck her ball in front of her and encouraged her to kick it. (One of her very favorite activities.) She did. She then stepped once, then twice and kicked again. This continued all the way across the living room. If you had been a fly on the wall, you would have known me by the gaping mouth and wide eyes. She was nonplussed. I was in shock. She acted like she had been doing this forever. "No big deal, Momma" her eyes seemed to say. Well, she HAD been practicing this for months! When Jeff got home I brought her outside and she walked the length of two houses without falling, picking up acorns ("balls!) and rocks (also "balls") and leaves ("eef") along the way. She was thrilled with her independence, however she kept looking up and saying, "Mama go" - she wanted me to walk along with her, but NOT holding on. It was so sweet.

Since then, I hardly think she has stopped. She is exploring EVERYWHERE. Other fun accomplishments include, confusing "up" and "down", signing: mouse, bird, yes, eat, & flower, (in addition to her other signs) knowing the sounds that dogs, cats, snakes, tigers, & birds make. Every day we spell her name using the magnetic letters on the fridge and now she walks up there and says "C, I" . ;) There are probably more, but I'm tired, so I'll wrap this up. Just wanted to share our exciting news!

What Did You Do This Morning?

2008-03-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

So a friend of mine, also a new Mom posted the things she had done by 9:30am and I thought I would share my story. Please share with me your morning accomplishments!

By 9:30 this morning I nursed Caiden twice, dressed her, fed her breakfast, did the dishes, answered four e-mails, made a phone call, made a grocery list, made a to-do list for my girls weekend coming up, I'm in the process of doing two loads of laundry, hung one up on the line, wished Caiden still took two naps, distracted her from sleepy grumpiness, changed our bed sheets, packed Caiden up for the day out and drove to church.

And you??? =)

Disappointments

2008-02-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

So...I've been contemplating disappointments the last few days. Mainly because my dear friend Phyllis and her family are visiting state-side for the first time in several years, it's my first chance to meet her two latest treasures, reconnect with her and introduce her to MY little joy and I have come down with bronchitis and a sinus infection...again. But, also because my little Caiden has been struggling with her own understanding of disappointments as well. To Momma-eyes they can sometimes seem silly, or unimportant, or annoying (okay, admit it...you've been annoyed with baby tears before!), but to her, they are REAL. Some of her disappointments include having to come inside after having free reign of the backyard while Momma hangs the laundry, not being able to TASTE that beautiful flower (or leaf, or rock...I should have NEVER shown her she could eat the lettuce from the garden!), not being able to read "Going on a Bear Hunt" for the 12th time in a row, and having to postpone her exploration of letter magnets on the fridge for a diaper change or trip to the potty. So, it's made me more mindful of the big picture of our lives and how our disappointments fit into them. Often our disappointments teach us, or mold our character, or protect us, or end up being the best in the long run, but our vision is so short. So precious Caiden, this is just the beginning. You have a long journey ahead of you. Hopefully along the way I can share some lessons with you and in the process you can teach me too. I hope I can be patient more often than I am not, and in the end, maybe Jesus will show us the underside of the beautiful tapestry He is weaving and we will be able to enjoy the big picture after all.

Look again

2008-02-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

I finally got the rest of her birthday pics up, if you'd like to look back and see!

Patience please!

2008-01-29T11:15:00.000-08:00

Hey all, sorry about the last post...the pics were taking too long to post and Jeff needed his phone/our internet connection. Now I'm at the library but without the pics. So...stay tuned please!

One Year!

2008-01-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

(Please excuse the tardiness of this post, and ignore the fact that she is now 13 mo. old) =)

Happy First Birthday Caiden! What a year full of joy, blessings, lessons, explorations, changes, growth, and LOVE. Jesus, thank you for the gift of our daughter. Thank you for using her to show us more of the depth of your love and passion for us. Papa, I ask for Your blessing cover Caiden this coming year. "Bless her and keep her, may your face shine upon her and give her Your peace." Teach her about Your love for her and Your presence in EVERY thing.

Here are some snapshots of her party (we just had a small-ish party with close family...for those who know my family, you understand the "ish" part of that word. =) )

The first pic is with her G-ma McLaughlin, the next two are cake diving, and the last one is in her special present from Daddy- her very own red wagon- made in America no less! =) I tried to post a cute photo with Aunt "Duck" (Kate) but it's rejecting it, so maybe later.. Thank you to everyone who made this day so special for her, and to everyone else who sent well wishes her way. On to year two! (Trust me, I'm enjoying every minute as it comes...that's quite enough for me!)

Christmas Vacation pt.I

2008-01-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

I'm typing from my parents' computer right now and don't have all of MY pictures, so I'll just cover the part of Christmas vacation that we spend with them. On the 25th, we left to spend a few days in TN. Here's where we "live" when we visit. Doesn't it look heavenly? It is!

We spend three days there and two days traveling. On Caiden's birthday Jeff and I took her into Pigeon Forge to celebrate with just the three of us because we're waiting to celebrate with both sides on the family on Jan.12th. While there we bought her her present: a cute TN-made rag doll. Here's Kate modeling her for us. ;) The trip up and back were a piece of cake. I was thrilled to learn that traveling is still do-able, atleast with a bunch of aunts in the back seat to keep Caiden amused. =)

While we were there we enjoyed weather that reached 28 degrees and 32degrees. It was a lovely change of pace from our warm FL temps! This is Caiden and Aunt Sarah, Tim's beautiful bride enjoying the chill.

Riding on the shoulders of her hero. =) This was the position of her hat 95% of the time. =)

Well, that's all I have time for now. More to come soon!

Ahh Saturdays!

2007-12-16T19:15:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, we went on a family picnic. We went to a little park in the Leesburg area. The last time we went to this lake-side park was in Jan. or Feb of last year and we couldn’t stay because it was too cold and windy for Caiden. This time however, the weather was perfect. Caiden was fascinated by the flock of birds that attacked us during our lunch break. I’m not sure what they were…they were the size of a mocking bird, but had yellowish breasts and brown wings with dark brown beaks and legs. She delighted in throwing things at them, beckoning them closer and then clapping loudly so that the whole group flew away all at once.

Because she is so eager to be independent, I let her crawl around and explore, careful to avoid ant beds and other questionable insects. We found this large bush with cottony looking seeds that burst forth and parachuted down around us every time the wind blew. She wasn’t a fan of the stickiness of the seeds, but the liked the soft cottony part. I showed her how to blow them apart, but the best she got was blowing raspberries or trying to taste them. That’s where I ended that particular experiment.

Our next delight was picking daisy-like flowers. I know, I should know their name…it’s a weed, maybe dandelion? Anyway, there was a whole clump of them, and she picked two, and then proceeded to disrobe them, stripping off all of their petals. How embarrassing! But oh so fun for a baby! =) Jeff caught these fun experiments with our new camera! Yeah!

p.s. Blogger isn't letting me upload pics right now...I'll have to add them later.

Musings

2007-12-04T10:42:00.000-08:00

I have to say that lately I have not lived up to the name that I gave this blog. I have been racking my brain as to what extraordinary topic I could dig up and ponder through, but I had not come upon anything until today.

I woke this morning to a delightful cool nip in the air. It was so refreshing I wanted a big fat mug to drink it in! It was of the flavor of "burrow deeper into those covers". However, a certain sun was also inviting me to warm myself under his gaze. In fact, his brightness was so intoxicating, that I could not help myself. I wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and slowly tip-toed out to the back porch. "Wait and see" the wind whispered, tantilizing me with the promise of newness and beauty. I was glad that I had already planned a picnic lunch at Lake Lily.

Caiden and I met Allie and Iain for our picnic. It was short but so sweet. We decided that it was so delightful, we will continue it on a weekly basis! After they left to meet the curfew for nap-time, Caiden and I strolled around the lake. Then I remembered the feeling of the morning, and decided to tune in on a deeper level to the creation around me.

There was a feeling of holiness and reverence in the air, of beauty and light. It was as if I stumbled into a secret worship session for all of creation. Everything sparkled. It was as if everything was awakened by the suns invitation to engage in this glorious day. The sky responded by sweeping away all of her cobwebs and giving the flying birds a venue in which to soar and dip and delight in the vast expanse of her. I could hear them calling to and fro that this was their favorite of His creations. I could hear the squirrels hopping from tree to tree, quietly chattering of His glory and provision. Even the Momma ducks were shooing their little ones from beneath the dry grasses out into the shining water. Turtles were perched everywhere proudly showing God's creativity as they carried around their homes. It was beautiful, I did not want to leave, but it was almost MY little one's nap time, so we turned back. As we did, the breeze flew by and whispered, "Did you see Him?" Yes, I see Him. What a great reminder this season. Do you see Him?

Caiden's First Thanksgiving Mail

2007-11-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

Today Caiden received a card in the mail from her G-ma and Grandpa McLaughlin. This was a momentous occasion as it was the first time she's been old enough to enjoy being ALLOWED to open mail by herself. =) We looked at her name on the front, and we practiced reading C-a-i-d-e-n. She should have it by next week. ;) She opened it, and then I read it to her. Then at her request (i.e shoving it in my face) I read it to her again. By the third repetition, I was beginning to think that she understood how exciting this was. =) Inside there was a dollar bill. She picked it up, did her little excited whistle, and kissed it before I could remove it from her grasp. Oops. I actually considered washing her mouth out, but then I thought she may equate receiving mail with punishment! Not good. I LOVE receiving mail! So, we prayed over whatever offending germs may have invaded her, and moved on. Then she mouthed, I mean, kissed the card. I wasn't as worried about that one. Apparently after a almost 11 month old kisses the things they love, they test its durability by gnawing on it. I don't blame her, if I recently grew teeth, I would be excited to test them out too! The light was bad, but I was able to catch some snapshots of this occasion thanks to Mom and Dad McLaughlin who gave me their old camera. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! =) Now if only I had a subject who would stay still! =)

Of smiles, pumpkins and ice cream

2007-11-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

What do these things have in common you ask? Absolutely nothing...I just have some really cute photos I wanted to share. =)

What is so delightful? Grass in between her toes of course!

This is a 150 lb. pumpkin at our friends the Casebier's home. What a discovery!!

The tears came after Jeff took away the ice cream. Life is so hard when you're a baby!

This family picture was taken in Saint Augustine on the water in front of the Fort. We took my parents there for their Christmas present (almost a year late!) We had such fun! When I get more pics of them, I will add those also.

We're Going on A Bear Hunt!

2007-10-02T13:57:00.000-07:00

We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one! What a beautiful day. We're not scared!

Ever since my little sisters were infants, this book has been one of my favorites. Now Caiden and I read it often. Last night it went something like this:

We're going on a beat hunt. We're going to catch a big one. What a beautiful day! We're not scared. Oh oh- THAT REALLY IS A BEAR!!!! And there he was- a 200 lb. black bear ambling across our backyard! All of a sudden, as if he heard my exclamation, he broke into a run- he must have been scared too. Oh wait.. DID I say I wasn't scared? Oh, I was just READING the book, after all!

Well, tonight, our bear came back. He must have enjoyed storytime! He also must come from a family that enjoys a snack with his story because he visited our neighbor's trash cans and our lettuce patch beforehand. Maybe if we switch books for a more benign story....and I think we'll scratch "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" off the list! =)

Eight months old!

2007-09-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it's been a whole month since I've posted last. I'm sorry! Jeff's computer had problems, and I didn't have internet access for long enough to post... So, Caiden is eight months old! Thanks to our friend, Kelsey Linduff, we have beautiful pictures of her too! These are the first "purposeful photo-op" pics we've had done. That is if you don't count her Grandmas and Aunts and Uncles taking numerous pictures of her at all times. ) Here are just a few...

And finally~

In other news, we are back to eating solids again. I am still making them for her and freezing them in ice cube trays. So convenient! =) The only drawback is that Jeff thinks he' s going to die because her diapers are so stinky. He said to me today, "Do we have to do solids? Can't you just breastfeed her til she goes off to college?" I informed him that I wasn't that kind of mother. So sorry! Grin.

We have made inroad on our garden as well. This year we are experimenting with tomatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplant, zuccini, squash, onions, basil, and lettuce. We also still have some stubborn strawberry plants that are hanging around, but I'm not holding my breath...they didn't produce well for us last year. I wish we had more space - I will miss my beans this year. I'll keep you updated as we see progress.

I am loving working part time. I am job-sharing and the other interpreter and I are very like-minded so it's going beautifully. I do miss my baby-girl when I'm away, but we are both adjusting well.

Oh, I almost forgot to share about my favorite part of last month- going to Tennessee! My parents bought property up there- 70 acres to be exact. The ENTIRE family got to go - including my brother's sweet fiancee, Sarah. We had a blast. It was a lot of hard work getting settled, but it was a team effort. Everyone had a specific project that was important to them: cleaning out the creek, finding a place for everything that was staying up there, painting the kitchen in the cabin, making us meals, digging out a fire pit, mowing the field, cleaning out a space for a garden, and someone to watch Caiden. =) Next time I'm excited to get to enjoy the fruit of our labor and more "people" time. This trip was all about working, cleaning and getting settled.

That's all I have time for now. I'm hungry and I'm the one that can do something about it! =) "Til next time!

"These are a few of my favorite things...

2007-08-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

Ahh, the Sound of Music- yes, it's a musical, but it's also taking place in our home these days. Caiden has mastered some new tricks, and I wanted to share. My favorite one is listening to her sing. She will use her voice to go up and down if there is music playing. It's the sweetest thing to hear coming from the back seat.

(notice neck roll? =)

The funniest thing are her new dance moves =) Any time any music comes on, in the car, on the TV (she's not watching it, don't worry!), church, anywhere, she starts the head bob. The head bob is a pretty smooth move and if you're really sly, your whole body moves and sways along with it. She's the master! It's the cutest thing!

Then comes the tongue click. This is her newest accomplishment, and one for which she is quite proud. She sits up taller, grins smartly and looks at you like, "bet you can't do that!" But when you do mangage an approximation, she gets whole-body-excited and rewards you with a smile that says, "Mom, you're so cool!" =) Okay, maybe I'm just hoping that's what she means. ;)

Sorry about the sideways picture, I couldn't get it to turn, and I couldn't delete it without changing the whole thing. =(

Tips for "going green"

2007-08-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I shared with you my new passion- wise use of our resources, conservation, basically a new perspective on "walking in love". You might want to print this for the fridge. I borrowed this list from another blog: NatureMoms blog who had a guest blogger by the name of Abel Cheng.

1. Use rechargeable batteries wherever possible. Rechargeable batteries will reduce the need to dispose of batteries which contain toxic chemicals.
2. Use reusable utensils not disposable. Bring your own container next time when you order take away food. Decline any plastic forks and spoons.
3. Do full loads of laundry. Don’t start the washing machine until it’s full of dirty laundry.
4. Buy organic foods. Free of pesticides and chemical-based fertilizers. In case you ask, organics are affordable.
5. Use rainwater for plants. Collect rainwater and use it to water your plants. No wastage on treated water.
6. Do not to open the fridge for too long. Decide what you want before opening the fridge. It takes more energy to bring down the temperature when the cool air leaks from the fridge.
7. Avoid dryer. Sun-dry your clothes whenever possible to conserve energy.
8. Plant a tree. Trees help reduce carbon dioxide and increase oxygen, which we breathe in.
9. Print on both sides of paper. This simple act reduces consumption by half.
10. Walk or cycle to work, go shopping or school. Leave the car in the garage. Good for environment and health.
11. Use energy-saving light bulbs. Don’t throw them in regular thrash. Dispose of them carefully as they contain dangerous mercury.
12. Send online greeting cards. Save trees and money.
13. Stop taking flyers handed out to you on the street if you don’t read them. It’s better not to waste the flyers than pleasing the person distributing the flyers.
14. Ask for a cone instead of a paper cup when you buy ice cream. Why not? You can eat the cone instead of throwing it away.
15. Turn the tap off. When you’re taking a shower, and if you’re soaping or shaving, stop the water. This adds up to a lot in the long run.
16. Buy in bulk. Stop buying things packaged in single use. Buy in bulk to cut down on packaging waste and shopping trips.
17. Recycle old books and magazines. Pass them around to your friends. Donate to libraries or charitable organizations.
18. Wash your car on the lawn. Not only do you prevent car shampoo from getting into your waterways, you water the lawn at the same time.
19. Easy defrosting. Do not use running water to thaw frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the fridge or by taking it out a few hours before cooking.
20. Turn off the computer when not in use. Don’t let the PC on or connected the whole day. Computers don’t consume much energy but think about it, you’re only one of the million computer users. That really adds up if everyone saves a little.
21. Use a handkerchief instead of packets of tissues. You save trees as well as money. 22. Get educated. You can learn more about environment online. One such place to go is Treehugger.com
23. Pay bills online. Or shop online. You avoid car trips. Save time and gasoline.
24. Take shower instead of using the bathtub to save water.
25. Unplug your cell phone as soon as it’s fully charged.
26. Use climate-friendly electrical appliances. An energy-efficient refrigerator can save half a ton of carbon dioxide a year compared with an older model.
27. Light up right. Use natural daylight wherever possible. Switch off lights when you leave a room.
28. Be a green shopper. Consider buying products that can be recycled or reused.
29. Compost kitchen waste. Instead of dumping fruit and vegetable peelings, decompose them naturally to make fertilizer. More info at ReclycleNow.com

Jeff comes home from the Soul in the City Tallahassee mission trip tomorrow! Yeah! I'm so glad-I'm exhausted from playing single parent this week!

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Not My Child Monday

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Some overdue pics of Addison's birth and early days

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