Busy Week

It is one of those weeks where it's been go go go. Monday started out with getting Analise to school, and coming home to give the girls baths while I put my menu/grocery list together. I decided since it was a longer list we could go to Walmart. I don't go there as often anymore. We got home 11:45, so I began unpacking and making lunch at the same time. I then inhaled my food in order to make it to a meeting at church by 1:00. I got home 2:45, so it was time to go pick up Analise. It was then the after school crazies, and I took a quick minute to check my email; I learned that my Bible Study the next morning was back on, so that lead to a turn of events at our house. Sadie had been coughing all day - no other symptoms, just coughing. I originally planned to take her to the doc the next morning, but with Bible study meeting again, I knew I needed to take her now. I decided at 4:10, and I could be there no later than 4:30. The girls scrambled to get ready and go. Thankfully we didn't have to wait long. Her O2 levels were good, no fever and no wheezes. We think some drainage from a couple of weeks ago settled in her lungs, so we got an antibiotic and some cough medicine. (a side note - she weighed 26 lbs.) We are to continue breathing treatments. Really, it wouldn't be January without breathing treatments. We immediately left the doctor's office to drive trough the pharmacy, took Analise to music, took the other two to friend's house, back to music, back to pick up other two, home in quickly finish dinner and eat, Brandon got home 7:40, I left at 8:00 to get my haircut. Finally at 9:00 I sat down and talked with my husband.

Tuesday was Bible study, and after a friend came over to play with Maisie after preschool. Maisie doesn't have friends come over to play often, so she was super excited. The two girls played really well!  (Today the mom told me that her daughter said that Maisie is a terrific friend; pretty cute coming from a 5 year old.)  I tried a new recipe for dinner....spaghetti pie from Deceptively Delicious. It was semi-deceptive and more delicious to some than others. I left quickly after dinner for my commission meeting at church and got home 8:30. Everyone was in bed - even my husband. He has a crazy week as well, so put our week together, and it's kind of nuts.

Weds morning it started snowing a beautiful snow. It snowed most of the day and left several inches. We had school, and Sadie started back up with Kindermusik again. Church activities were canceled for the night, and that was great...a night at home with my family!

I went to Analise's class this afternoon to help for the first time this year. I loved being up there! I read with three kids (they did the reading), and it was so sweet. At the end I told the kids they did a nice job, and one boys said, "So did you." He then told me he liked my purse. :) How sweet!

I leave with a couple of pictures that are funny to me:  We came home from small group on Sunday evening. Maisie saw the leftover pear on the counter. She just helped herself to finish it. It cracks me up because after going potty, she didn't quite get put back together right. :) (Notice the tights. I offered more than once to her that she could take them off after church so she could be more comfortable. She didn't want to; she likes tights. I know she doesn't get that from her mother! And hopefully not her dad, either. :))

 The other day I was getting Sadie in her Pull-up for nap time, and she then put on Analise's Twinkle Toe shoes and walked around. To see it in person was hilarious.

January Moments

We are half way through January, and that is fine by me. This month would probably rank as my least favorite. Lots of cold, usually illness, and not much going on. We are just hoping this year to not meet our deductible in the first month!

Amidst all that, I've found opportunities to laugh, and I've managed to catch some of our fun on the camera. So here goes:

Sadie was standing on here singing her little heart out.

 And here she is tagging along while I clean.

 A few days after the first snow, the temps climbed back into the 40s, so we enjoyed playing outside. The snow was wet and easy to pack into a snowman. I loved watching the girls build him! My mom gave the girls a "snowman kit" for Christmas, so once his body was made, we simply put the rest of him together.

 Last week  is snowed all weekend, and it was a beautiful and peaceful snow. After naps on Sunday we decided to go sledding. I don't remember the last time I went sledding; I think I was always home with a baby. Not this time!  We met up with D and two of the boys at the hill and had so much fun. In all my years of staying home with a baby, I didn't realize how much work it was sledding with small kids. Pulling the sled up the big hill with two kids in it makes for a great and tiring workout!

 Maisie loves to eat snow and make snow angels.

 Here is our backyard with the 10-12 inches of snow. School was cancelled last Monday, so we hung out at home and had a relaxing day. Brandon snowblowed several driveways and then went to work. Tuesday morning was a late start, so that meant no preschool or Bible study. Bummer. That afternoon Maisie started running a temp. She ended up missing the other two days of school. However, I'll take a fever any day over the stomach flu.

 Sadie + sticky notes = funny looking 2 year old.

 Brandon read the bedtime story on the bunk bed with all three girls. Sadie was in Heaven!  She's not allowed up there, so when he invited her up, she was super excited!



Now onto other memories without photos:

On Friday I attempted shopping at the mall with both Maisie and Sadie in tow. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't fun either. Sadie did fine in the stroller, but Maisie loves to touch everything. That's how she learns. It will be a long time until I do that again.

Saturday I went back to the mall - by myself. :) Sidewalk sales are a great time to start school shopping for next year. I was able to get Analise some great shirts and pants for about $3 a piece...some even cheaper! Woo-hoo!  And I got myself my own deal at Maurice's.

Our Sunday mornings are looking a little different. Instead of going to the first service while the girls are in Sunday school, Brandon is now co-teaching an adult class during first service. We then get the girls and go to the late service together. Some families do this each week, but it's a first for us. It makes the morning longer for everyone, but I enjoy it. I like a different worship style; I like meeting new people, and I like worshiping as a family. (as much as 2, 4, and 6 year old can worship). I think the girls are doing a nice job of staying quiet, and  I appreciate the help from Grandma and Grandpa. So for the next few months,  I will enjoy this change.

Analise went to her good friend, M's, birthday party last week. It was a "fancy"  party where fancy dress was optional. It turned out that Analise was the only girl that went for the "optional" look. She wore a nice red sweater, new blue jeans and her twinkle toe shoes. All the other girls were in their fancy dresses with tights, etc. I felt terrible, but what I did learn was that  it didn't bother Analise. She was confident in her own skin. Of course, the others didn't care what she looked like; they were so kind and encouraging...more for me than Analise. :)

Some quick funnies:

One evening last week I announced, "If you are a (insert last name) girl, then you need to help me fold clothes." Maisie quickly replied, "Mommy, I'm a boy."

I frequently hang the girls' drawing and things on the front door, and sometimes they fade. Analise came home with a cute penguin, so I asked  her if I could hang it on the door. She says, "Sure...but don't let it faint!'

Maisie missed the letter P this week at school, which also meant she missed pajama day...something she was looking forward to. I told her we could have a pajama day at home, and she was fine with that. Throughout the week we talked about different words starting with the P sound. I'll be honest, Maisie knows the letter, but she doesn't have a clue 90% of the time what a word starts with. She hasn't connected with sounds yet. So when the girls and I made cookies this week, I would ask her questions like, "Maisie, this is bbbutter. What does butter start with?" And since it was P week, she always answered with, "P!" I get to the word flour and ask the same thing, and again she answers with, "P!" In response to that, I hear my 6 year old say, "Actually a p and h go together sometimes to make the f sound, but not this time."

Maisie is so loving and sweet, but sometimes she misses the obvious things in life. For example, the other morning we take Analise to school (like every week day since August), we pull into the garage and Maisie asks, "Where's Analise?" Seriously? She began to guess that maybe she was at Aunt. S's or Grandma's house. Oh my...

Maisie and I have done a few I Spy books, and she has a princess version of an I Spy book. I'm learning this is a really good activity for us...because it makes you look beyond the obvious. I'm learning that sometimes she can quickly find what she is looking for; most of the time if she can't find it in the first 3 seconds, she wants me to show her where it is. I will give her clues such as, "It's close to the deer." She can find the deer but still miss what she is looking for. What I find revealing though is we can go back several days later to look at a page we've already done, and she remembers exactly where each picture is. The reason I mention all this is because I feel like I am learning more about her and her learning style. When Brandon was a kid, he had trouble learning the sounds of letters, and therefore had trouble learning to read. He had to memorize the whole word.  I sense Maisie may be on the same path. And being as smart as her daddy is a good thing.

Sadie's latest word is "nuffing." (nothing) I'll ask her what is wrong, and she'll say that. Sometimes she uses it when she is mad, almost like a swear word. (And she doesn't learn those words from us!) It's kind of funny.

Okay...short post turned long. I better get some things done...

A New Year

I am aware it's January 14. And believe me, I've been waiting to write this post. I long to be caught up on the blog.
As the new year rolls around, most people look ahead to come up with resolutions for the new year.  I've never been one to do that. If I don't set a goal, then I won't fail in accomplishing it. Sure, I always want to lose weight, exercise more, read God's Word everyday, only speak kind words, play more on the floor with my girls, get and stay organized, pray more deliberately...but honestly, I long for that all throughout the year.  So instead of looking ahead on the first of January, I prefer to look behind. I like to reflect on the journey God has taken us on in the previous year. So, thanks to my blog (though always a bit behind) I was able to review our year, and I tried to do it through the lens of thankfulness to my Heavenly Father. And here is why:
Psalm 78: 4-6
We will not hide from their children;
we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power and the wonders He has done....which He commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep His commandments.

Our Pastor spoke from this passage in October, and it was something I held close to my heart. (And not to justify my time spent on here :)). Here it is in a nutshell:
The Role of Remembering:
1. Remembering has a definite purpose - telling the next generation.
2. We need to remember that the Scriptures are God's self-disclosure to us.
3. We need to remember because we are so prone to pride.
4. We need to remember so we don't live like this life is it.
Remembering...
1. Helps us to live a life without compromise. (Romans 5:3-5)
2. Gives us more than good intentions. (1 Sam. 15:22)
3. Reminds me that God is in charge. (Galatians 6:7-8)

A few years ago I started a journal focused solely on God's faithfulness in our lives. I wanted to remember each time so I could tell the girls, and they could see "first hand" about His work in our lives. I'd be lying if I said I still kept up with that. ( I guess I should add that with the above list.) However, my hope with this blog is that someday my girls can read it or I can look back on it and completely see God's hand in all our situations...the good and hard times.
One of my favorite Christmas gifts this years was a digital scrapbook of my paternal Grandmother. I loved reading the history of her and her life. In it she reflects on her grandmother praying daily for her family. And my Grandmother prays for us, too. What a heritage; what a blessing!  They have been obedient to God's word in telling the next generation his praiseworthy deeds.
So as I reflect and feel completely blessed beyond measure, may I not fear when I look at future. Instead may I look ahead with that goal in mind - that I would be a wife, mother and woman that will point the next generation (specifically my girls that I've been given) to God in all things and take no credit for myself.

Other December Memories

I am determined to finish December!  Here are things for my memory book:

~ Brandon was gone for about a week to Texas. The girls and I stayed busy to help pass the time. While he was gone he was able to attend a very "important" sporting event. I am so glad he got to go.
~ The girls and I enjoyed reading books at bedtime snuggled right next to the Christmas tree. Sometimes it got a little too cozy.
~ When Sadie said "Christmas tree" it sounded like "mystery."
~ The song this year (thanks to Junie B. Jones) was Jingle Bells, Batman smells etc...they would sing this over and over to get a reaction from their dad. Just last night (1.12.11) Analise wrote those lines on his mirror.
~ Each girl helped decorate their own tree for their bedrooms. (Maisie and Sadie shared) They love having their own tree, and I love having a place to hang all their special/homemade ornaments.
~We had no snow all month long.
~ I love to curl up and watch a good Christmas movie by tree lights only. It didn't happen this year, but I did watch "Letters to Juliet" with my SIL and MIL. Loved it!
~ I found a new show that I LOVED...The Sing Off. 
~As hard as I tried to plan ahead and make gifts for all the girls' teachers, I still forgot some. Thankfully, not too late. :) 

~ I feel SO blessed to have had safe travels and good health all season long! Well, minus a little fever from Maisie causing me to miss my last Bible study this semester.

~ I was so thankful that when Analise had her Christmas sing-along at school, they sang both the traditional Christmas carols and the songs about Christ's birth.

~Finally, this picture is by Analise. She did this for school, and I think it sums up our season:

Friends and Fun

I feel blessed to have friends that aren't "old friends" but rather friends I've had since we were young.  Facebook is great because it helps me stay connected with these friends, but getting together in person is so much better! While home I was able to get together with four friends. One day I went to lunch with M, a friend since the 3rd grade. What a sweet and special time that was! We talked for two and half hours!  Later in the week I met other friends, and their kids, at a  local ice hockey place because on some mornings they have huge inflatables for kids to climb. Despite the frigid temps in there, the girls had a great time, and I loved seeing and connecting with girl friends. One of my friends was home from oversees so that was a bonus!

 See...they aren't old friends. We look just like we did in high school. Hah! :)

Candy Land

One of the highlights for the week at home was taking the girls downtown to the botanical gardens. We have never done anything like this before, and they were featuring "Candy Land," so we decided to go. It was a lot of fun walking around, looking at flowers and plants, and they also enjoyed the large pieces of candy. I also enjoyed seeing a different part of God's creation; so often I focus on God's creativity in animals and not plants. We toured the main room, the tropical room and the desert. We made sure the girls didn't touch any cactus. My sister learned that lesson at a young age. :)

What cute gingerbread girls!

Analise standing in front of a really old tree.

Part of the candy land was smelling sticks. We would try and guess the scent just using our noses. This was one of Maisie's favorite parts. I try and encourage the sense of smell every time we cook together by having the girls smell the spices and things I put in the dish. So to see Maisie enjoy this was exciting for me.

Maisie next to the "lemon" stick.

I couldn't resist...chocolate has that way on me...

One of the hands on activities was climbing through a tunnel to learn what it's like to be a worm. I had four worms in my family. Here they are:

Sadie's cue that she was finished.

Out of all the pictures I took, this one is my favorite.

After touring the gardens, we did a little walking around downtown since it was so nice. Analise was kind of in awe about all the tall buildings. She asked if they were sky scrapers. :)  It dawned on me that my girls have never walked around a downtown in a city before. It was fun for me to experience it in my home  town. We walked across the street to a really old, ornate church so the girls could see that was well. Again, they've never seen a church from the 1800s.  As I studied all the ornate pictures and saw their rituals, I was impressed but also thankful that God is with me wherever I pray to and worship Him.

Time spent with family is a great day, so this was a great day!

Fun Memories

We played lots of games at Grandmom and Pop's house! Maisie got the game "Pretty Pretty Princess." Maisie should know I love her when this mama plays that game with her. :)

 Analise got "Guess Who" and loved playing! 

 We gave Analise "Sorry" for Christmas but didn't have time to teach her how to play. Plus, I figured there was no one better to teach her than Aunt Peg. We played that game a lot growing up, so it was fun playing it again.

 Sadie liked to beat this tin.

 Some good friends gave the girls these red cowboy hats. Thanks B and G!

 The girls spent a morning playing in the snow since this was the first chance they'd had this winter.

 One evening after dinner out at the best Mexican restaurant, we took a drive through the fantasy of lights. We enjoyed all the displays, but this one was my fave.

 One morning we went for donuts at Dunkin' Donuts.

Christmas with Too Far Away Family

We left for Indiana on Weds. afternoon after Analise was finished with school at 1:15. We hit the road at 2:30 and made good time to our hotel five hours away. We were blessed to be upgraded to a bigger room, so that was nice having extra space! We let the girls swim for awhile before going to bed. And actually Analise was the only one that swam; the other two hung out in the hot tub with me. :)

We made rest of the long journey on Thursday. Thankfully Brandon found a way around the major city that always gives us fits. I'll choose quiet country roads over major traffic any day. The girls did awesome in the van. They played, colored, sang songs, did Mad Libs and watched movies. We now have enough headsets for each girls to have her own. Yeah!

 After a dinner of steak and salmon, the girls just HAD to take a bubble bath in the jet tub. Aunt Peg got to witness the crazy fun.

We had a quiet Christmas Eve at home. While the girls rested, Brandon and I ventured out to the mall so he could look for black shoes. We had pizza for dinner and then headed to church for the Christmas Eve service. It was wonderful to sing with my family and for the pastor to remind us what  a gift the Father sent to us - His Son Jesus! The girls did a nice job of sitting quietly during the service. It probably helped that the adults out numbered kids. After we got home from the service, we took a few pictures, put the girls to bed, and Brandon went to bed, too, because he wasn't feeling well. Rest of us played the game Sequence. I loved that time of togetherness filled with lots of laughter.  Here are some pictures from that night:

I was so proud of the girls on Christmas Day. First of all - they didn't get up super early! And when they did wake up, they were so patient in opening gifts. Brandon was still not feeling well, so he didn't come down until after lunch. We went ahead and opened stockings and Peg and Danny's gifts. We were SUPER blessed with great gifts. We did stockings first. Our stockings are the best; they are full of practical and impractical things. And they aren't small by any means.

Sadie and her stocking:

After stockings, we went upstairs and ate the traditional Christmas breakfast: cinnamon twist coffeecake and sausage/egg casserole. Mmmm...after that we opened part some of the gifts. I love how we open from youngest to oldest, one at a time. It stretches out the fun that way. :)

Aunt Peg and Uncle Danny blessed the girls with the Kid's Dance for the Wii. Lots of fun!

Though Brandon wasn't there, I let each of the girls open their Santa gift. I took video of it so he could see their reactions. I say Santa did pretty good. :)
Sadie and her new laptop.

A Cinderella set for Maisie, my princess girl

Whoo-hoo! Analise now has her own Razor scooter!

My mom made another delicious meal - salad, prime rib, mashed spuds, carrot souffle, rolls.

We were able to open gifts with Brandon in the late afternoon. Thankfully he was feeling better by then. Here he is with his stocking. I wonder where Analise is...

Maisie got her own camera!

Analise was excited and surprised to see she got Twinkle Toe shoes

Another George movie. Yeah! Each girl got her own Zhu Zhu Pet. See what Maisie's looks like...

We love Little People!

And I got another Vera Bradley bag. And I'm not even having a baby! :)

It was a fun filled day full of many blessings!