Spreading the Word

We haven't had a whole lot to report this week. No one's eye has been injured, no one cut their thumbs on a jelly jar, and we haven't had any doctor appointments. Dan and I are fine, the kids are wonderful and beautiful, as always.
Since I didn't have a real update for you, I thought I'd share some wisdom and goings-on from other bloggers that I found interesting or useful.
I'll start with the fun stuff.

Going to the beach and need a good book? Itching for a little escape during nap time? Or, are you just someone who feels naked without a book to read? I've been there. But, now, I can go to Leatherbound Reviews and find exactly what I need. Yes, that's right, folks. Named by my husband and beautifully written by my fabulous friend, Jakki, Leatherbound Reviews is the perfect blog to visit for all your book review needs. From Jane Austen fan fiction, to chick-lit, to mysteries, Leatherbound Reviews tells me what I need to know. Don't make the costly, time-consuming mistake of buying a book only to find that you despise all the characters and the plot is a big, fat cliche. Go to Leatherbound Reviews first! (Insert cheesy winking nerd giving a thumbs-up.)
I'm thinking of abandoning any future teaching pursuits to write infomercials. What do you think?

The next one is, I feel, an important read for all moms of little girls because, well, there are always going to be mean girls and we need to know what to tell our daughters when they encounter one - and they will because the mean girls are not picky about whom they torment. They don't all look like Regina George or Heather Chandler. They're not always the most popular girls in school. And, they don't always get over it. Sometimes, 35-year-old women girls still have enough of that adolescent insecurity to need to judge other women's weight, or style of dress, or house, or job, or the way they parent their children. And, if we equip our daughters with the strongest tools they can use to deal with the mean girls now, they will be confident enough to be who they are without needing the approval of the mean women  girls later.
http://thegypsymama.com/2012/04/what-i-want-my-daughter-to-know-about-the-mean-girls/

And, lastly, this is just a blog I read a lot because she brings up some interesting parenting topics and she's an entertaining writer. I didn't enjoy the post about Madonna all that much, but the ones about the Mommy Wars (yes, please stop!) and helicopter parents got my attention. Sweet Pea and Baby D, I promise that when your middle school boyfriend/girlfriend breaks up with you, I will not call their parents to demand an explanation. I'm pretty sure you're not going to spend the rest of your life with someone you liked when you were 11.
www.confessionsofameanmommy.com

I'll let you know if anything fun happens around here. Until then. happy reading!

6 Month Check Up

I can hear you now. "What the heck is that?" you ask. That is Baby D's growth chart. Our very healthy (however, fond of spitting up) little charmer is in the 70th percentile for weight. That's the bottom of the chart. As far as his length (or height), well, you can see for yourself. That dot should be somewhere within the curved lines on the graph.

Not our kid! Oh, no. The boy is following in his statuesque sister's footsteps and is measuring off the charts.

He's still smiling, giggling, gurgling, blowing spit bubbles, and thoroughly enjoying his active play time.

Praise God for two healthy, towering kiddos!

*Both my children will be taller than I am before they go to kindergarten...*

6 Months Old!

Riding in Cars With Madeline

Some of my favorite conversations with Madeline take place in the car. She pipes up with the funniest things from way back there in her car seat. For instance, Sweet Pea will tell you she's hot when the sun is in her face, even if it's 30 degrees outside. We tell her that it isn't hot, but bright. So, this morning on the way to the library, she asked, "Mommy, are you hot?" I replied, "No, I'm not hot. Are you hot?" Without missing a beat, she said, "No, I not hot. I bright." :)

But, sometimes, the conversations aren't so much comical as thought-provoking. Have you ever tried to have a theological discussion with a two-year-old? I didn't think I would, either, until she started pointing out things we see while driving and saying, "God made cheez (trees)! God made fyowers! God made birds!" So, I respond with a smile and, "Yes, Sweet Pea. God did make those flowers!"

Today, the little darling melted my heart again when she said, "Mommy, I yove God." It surprised me a little at first, but then I remembered that in one of her bedtime story books, God Gave Us You, (I highly recommend this one, btw), the little polar bear declares that she loves God. I figured M was just imitating what we had read and so I gave her the same response the mother bear gives to the little bear, which was, "I know. I do, too." I figured that would be the end of it.
Instead, the conversation continued like this:
Madeline - "God yove me?"
Me- "Yes, Sweetie. God loves you very much."
Madeline - "God hold me?"

Hmmm. My two-year-old, a very affectionate and loving child, just asked me if God would hold her. Sweet Pea equates snuggling, holding, cuddling and the like with love. I can't imagine why. It's not like we've had our arms around her every chance we get since the minute she entered this world. ;)

So, how does one answer that question? What should I say? The truth?
Yes, Baby Girl. When your feelings are hurt and someone gives you a hug, that's God holding you. When your first crush likes another girl and your best friend says just the right thing at the right time to make everything feel better, that's God holding you.
When you're sick and you have the comfort of a warm bed and your favorite soup, that's God holding you.
When you have your own children and you look at their precious faces for the first time and feel more love than you ever knew existed, that's God holding you.
When something tragic happens, and it feels like your whole world has come to an end and the hurt just won't go away, but then you have that one small glimmer of hope that someday, you'll be ok again, that's God holding you.
When you feel the pure joy that comes with being compassionate and benevolent to those who need it, that's God holding you.

That's what I wanted to say. I didn't think she would get it. Not just yet.
So, I smiled my Mommy smile and simply said, "Always."

Sweet Pea smiled.

Maybe she does get it, after all.

He Is Risen!

He is risen, indeed!
We had a very nice celebration of the Resurrection complete with sunshine, a nice breeze, a good Easter sermon, and a visit from family. Oh, and lest we forget, the long-awaited Easter Bunny paid a visit to Head Manor.

Can you guess Madeline's favorite Easter basket item? Yes. The one that clearly stated "less mess" on the package. I will be vacuuming up that "less mess" tomorrow.

Happy first Easter, Baby D!!

My beautiful diva, showing off her Easter egg loot.

I love the look on his face here.

"Seriously, Mommy. Enough pictures." When we came home from church, I asked if she wanted to change clothes. She replied, "No. I wear my pincess dress." You thought I was joking, didn't you? Nope. She really does fancy herself a princess.

Don't you just want to cover his sweet little face with kisses??

"Thank you, Easter Bunny! Bock Bock!" (If you don't get that, you didn't watch enough TV in the '80's.

Happy Easter, all.

Is it really April??

Where did March go??

Here it is April 5 and I've let an entire month go by without updating you on my fabulous babies! I mean, I've posted pictures, but it's not the same as giving you the lowdown on all the exciting happenings at Head Manor.

Again, I'm feeling like public enemy number one, alias Bad Mom, for letting you know every time Sweet Pea sneezed and not even giving you weekly updates on our happy, laughing boy. Baby D (I'm probably going to have to change his nickname when he gets a little older) is still such a smiling, giggling joy to have around. He really is a sweet, cuddly little guy. I never new another man could make my heart pitter patter like that...you know, other than Dan. Here's a brief list of things that make his precious face light up like the 4th of July:
1. I enter the room.
2. Dan talks to him.
3. Madeline enters the room.
4. Madeline looks at him.
5. He hears Madeline's voice.
6. The offer of food.
7. Singing to him.
8. Playing "This Little Piggy."
9. Reading to him. (As Mommy dances a happy little jig)
10. Bouncing in the Jumperoo or on my lap.

Those are the few that come immediately to mind. He has this adorably high-pitched chuckle that is reserved for special events, like when I lift him over my head and make faces at him.

He's so active and loves to play. He and Sweet Pea are very different in that way. She has always liked to play, but in a more quiet, reserved way. She is still perfectly content to sit on the floor, "reading" to her dolls. Baby D, however, has to bounce and move at all times, unless he's sleeping. If I put him down for tummy time, he looks like a turtle that's been flipped onto its back. His arms and legs flail and push and he gets so frustrated that he can't go anywhere. I fear for my bookshelf and my fireplace screen when he figures out the whole crawling thing.

Sweet Pea is just that - my little Sweet Pea. Her vocabulary continues to astound me, as does her grasp on things that I didn't think she would get yet. Yesterday, in the car, she said, "Yook at all da cheez (trees), Mommy! God made it!" What does a mom do in that instance but smile and say, "Yes, baby. God did make those trees." She later went on to tell me all the people God made, which was pretty much everyone she's ever met.

She's still such a good sister to Baby D. If he cries, she reaches out, pats his hand, and says in a soft voice, "I know, Dabid. I know. It's OK." It warms my heart when I see her sitting on the floor with her baby dolls, picking them up one by one and saying things that I say to her and Baby D. "Good mohnin', baby! You hungy? Time fa beksis (breakfast)!" or "It's OK, baby. I know you tiyad (tired). We go uptairs and take a west, den you feel bedda."

Have I mentioned, lately, that I adore my kids?

I pray for both my children daily, and the prayer that I send up most is that they will use their own hands and feet to be His hands and feet. I also pray that they will always feel loved and that they will share that love by being compassionate to other people and animals, and to the rest of God's creation. I hope the love they're showing each other in their toddlerhood and infancy, is a good sign of answered prayers to come.