We're Diggin' Volleyball

When I saw the local YMCA was offering a volleyball class, I couldn't pass on the opportunity, and I called to get Analise all set to go. And  it's been a big hit. (Peg...those puns were for you. Hah!)

Seriously, we love it when Analise can try something new, but we are pretty selective on what it is.

 She had been learning about volleyball in PE class and seemed to enjoy it. So when I saw volleyball offered on Saturday mornings for six weeks, it was a good fit for us. She loves going each week, and I enjoy it as well. It's turned out to be a blessing for all of  us because Brandon has been working Saturday mornings, so this gets us out of the house to pass time. The other girls play in the game area while Analise plays. Sometimes we go into the extra court, and the other two get to run around. That's never a bad thing in the middle of winter.

Analise does a nice job serving. (sorry the picture is bad. Brandon wasn't around to put the camera in the right setting.)

There's something about being a gym around a volleyball net and volleyballs that makes me feel like I am 20 again. I long to get on the court and play. Of course, my mental game hasn't aged like my body has. I know I could be playing in leagues, but at this season in my life, I have chosen  other activities to be involved in. Maybe when I am older I can play again...but then again, who would want me then? :)  Volleyball is in my blood still, and I would love to see my girls play someday!

Cookie Time!

A couple of weeks ago when the weather was snowy, Awana was canceled. It was a relief for me amidst a busy week. Since we didn't get out of the house, I decided to make sugar cookies...from scratch - frosting and all. As much as I love to bake and have the girls help me, I really don't like making sugar cookies. It takes a lot of time, makes a big mess and usually tests my patience. This Wednesday night however, I was up for the challenge...I mean enjoyment.

We made the dough, and I put it outside to chill. Analise helped me make a cream cheese frosting. The girls took turns in using the cookie cutters to cut out the shapes.  After the girls were in their jammies, I lined them up with their own sprinkles and bowl. I did the frosting, and they did the sprinkling, and sprinkling and sprinkling. Even Brandon came up to help!  We made this night a family night, and we counted it as a celebration for the girls filling up the cup with stones. I will admit, it does get easier as they get older. Less arguing and complaining! It may just be less than a year before I try again. :)

They turned out yummy, and we've had the privilege to share many!

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! :)