Practice Good Hygiene

Brushing teeth is fun, especially when edible bubble gum toothpaste is used in excess on the brush. Yum!

Who is that?

My daughter was quite wary of that person sleeping on her couch.

I’m getting worse.

I know I am getting worse physically. My tummy is all stretched out from having babies, my back is out of whack, my arms are tired, and my knees are on the way out. I could go on. I know my body is not going to last forever, or perhaps even very long at all.
Mentally, I don’t seem to remember what I used to be able to remember. I think that’s because I’m a mom and there is so much stuff I need to remember, and there is just not room enough to fit it all into my brain. I compensate for this with a few lists: To Do List, Shopping List, etc. Lists are so great!

What is really important, though, and the reason I started writing this, is I am getting worse as a person. When I was younger, I thought I was a pretty good person. I went to church (my parents made me), didn’t do drugs/smoke/chew/drink or date boys that did, obeyed my parents (most of the time), and was generally a good person to others. When I was younger I gave my life over to my Savior, and I thought I was right on track.

But, as I get older, and perhaps a tiny bit wiser, I keep discovering what a horrible person I really am. I keep getting convicted of more and more and more and more things that I didn’t even know I had problems with. As I am slowly trying to give my life over to my Lord, he is slowly making me more like Him. And to do that, he has to get rid of so many things that are not like Him in my life. He convicts me of these things so we can deal with them. He just keeps showing me more junk in my life so we can work on getting rid of them.

I want this process to continue for the rest of my life. I need to keep finding out all the terrible things about myself, because that will mean that my Lord is working on transforming me into the joy that he wants. I want to be used for his purpose. This is what my life is for.

Laundry

My son likes to help with the laundry. Well, sort of. If you are using the word "help" very loosely. VERY loosely.

Diaper Dudes

My husband and I were shopping at Old Navy for a baby gift yesterday. Correction: I was shopping at Old Navy yesterday, while my husband was pushing the double stroller around the store trying to look like he was actually interested in picking out a cute little baby girl gift. Anyway, we decided to do the bathroom break thing - you know - all four of us go into the family friendly bathrooms, two adults use the "big potty," and two little people get new diapers.
We went in to the bathroom, locked the door, and I turned around and said to my two little people, "Okay, Diaper Dudes, lets change some diapers!"

My very two-year-old son looked up at me and stated, "I am NOT a Diaper Dude."

"I am a Diaper MAN!"

Before

My brother came over to visit me yesterday. He enjoys his visits to my house. He gets good, home cooked meals. He plays with his nephew (who adores his uncle). He gets free haircuts.

He needed a haircut desperately. You decide - look at the picture! No wonder he wasn't getting any dates! His after picture is below. Now he will have to carry a stick to keep all of the women away. :)

After

This is my brother after his haircut.

Teething

She's getting teeth. She has five so far, and I think I saw the very tip of the sixth tooth poking through this evening. She chews on everything. Her toys. Her brother's toys. The wheelbarrow handle. Her hand. My shoulder.
This is a picture of her chewing on her dad's leather belt.

Tiger Bike

He is riding his bike now, all by himself. He practiced and practiced with his dad jogging behind him, giving him needed nudges. We don't have pavement, only gravel, so it's hard to get going and keep up speed. He is so excited to be able to get on his bike and ride, all by himself.
He calls it his TigerBike. Just like on VeggieTales.

BIG

She climbed up the first step on the staircase and was pretty proud of herself. Time to bring out the gate.

I was complimented by my son while I was digging in the garden. He sometimes says "Big Girl" to me, but this time it was "Big Mommy" when I scooped up a heavy clump of dirt with the shovel. The awe in his voice renders it a compliment, but the "Big" part just doesn't flatter me.

Big Girl!

I must say "Big Girl!" often to my daughter.

I was struggling to open a container of baby food at lunch yesterday. I pulled and tugged at the lid and finally got it started, only to have it tear. After some tugging I finally fully opened the container -- to the sound of my son proudly saying, "Big Girl, Mommy! Big Girl!"


My Big Girl stood up all by herself yesterday. She stood up with her hands on my leg, then she nonchalantly let go and just stood all by herself for a second or two, then slowly placed her hands back on my leg. Smooth. It didn't even phase her or catch her off balance. I, however, took a while to start breathing normally again. Already? She is not even eight months old yet! So Soon!!!

O What a Night!

Whew, I hate exciting nights. My son was up at 1:00am, and he felt very warm and asked me if I would rock him. So, I was holding him in the rocking chair and he threw up all over us. He threw up again about an hour later. Poor little guy.
After we got him all cleaned up the second time, he was put on the couch with his dad for the night. He thought that was pretty cool, so we figured he was feeling a bit better. I had a tough time falling back to sleep again. My daughter was up a few times, too. I'm already looking forward to going to bed tonight.

I'm feeling particularly lonely tonight. The kids are in bed and I'm waiting for my husband to come home. He works a lot of hours during harvest (which is now in full swing) and I really miss having meaningful conversations and just spending time with him. I'm glad he works so hard to take care of his family, but I miss his time. I am looking forward to freeze up when he will be able to relax a bit and hang out at home. I really like my husband. I love him, too.
I am eagerly anticipating the start of several events - MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) will be meeting soon. I like being able to connect with other mothers at MOPS. I am also going to be in a ladies Bible Study starting next month, and Awana starts up, too. All of these are added work for me; but oh so much enjoyment comes out of them. I like being involved in things that build me up and build others up.

Uncle Layne

My son loves his uncles and aunts! He has two uncles that live fairly close that he sees quite often. Uncle Layne was visiting us a few days ago and when he left, my son cried "Uncle Layne, don't go!" He has such a good time playing tractors with Uncle Layne. He likes to play with Aunt Christy at Grandma's house - she builds awesome skyscrapers and tunnels. She even plays tractors with him and helps him go potty on the BIG potty.
Uncle Luke lives a little over an hour's drive from our house. We see him at least once a month (hopefully more) and enjoy him so much! Uncle Luke likes to play tractors, too, and is on the Very Cool Uncle's List.
Uncle Rob, Uncle Ryan, and Marcy are far away for now, but my son looks at pictures of them often and gets to talk to them on the computer phone. He says "What's up, dog?" in honor of Uncle Rob (Thank you very not so much, Rob). He plays soccer like Uncle Ryan. He tells me he is Marcy's Nephew and I think he's proud of that fact.
I think my kids have some more uncles, and maybe an aunt, but I don't remember who they are or what they look like....hmm, it would be so sweet if they would write or call!

Bathtime

It's fun, and often very exciting, to give two wiggly little people a bath. They usually do very well - he doesn't splash her too much, and she doesn't poke/grab/kick him too much. Maybe that's because I give fairly quick baths (necessary because both of my little people have a mild form of dermatitis).
He is actually becoming very helpful. He hangs the washcloth up and he pulls the plug to drain the tub. Then he asks where the water goes (down the drain, into the basement, out to the septic tank, and into the drainfield). He helps rub lotion onto his tummy, and doesn't wiggle too much when I put his diaper on. He is staring to be able to dress himself fairly well.

Some people tell me that they wish their kids were still little. They get a nostalgic sort of glow as they think back to the blissful era of cuddling babies and adoring toddlers...
They must have NO realistic memory whatsoever of what it was like to actually care for babies and toddlers. Don't get me wrong; I love my kids and enjoy taking care of them. But I also enjoy watching them grow and develop and learn how to do things "by myself!" I do look forward to the day when all my kids can dress themselves and bathe themselves, etc. I don't expect all of my mothering challenges to disappear as they reach grade school - they will just evolve into new challenges - but I do think (or hope) that life will be a little bit less intense. Babies take so much time and energy!!! I just don't think I will ever say "I wish they would just stay little." I am more likely to say that I have enjoyed watching them grow and mature in His time and according to His plan.

Tupperware

I remember when my son enjoyed taking all of the Tupperware out of the cupboard and spreading it on the floor. Now my daughter is entering the Tupperware Phase.

She got tooth #4 today. Now maybe we will get a little break before the next teeth decide to make their appearance. She gets a little bit testy the day or two before she gets a tooth.

Diapers

I started using washable diapers last year and I really like them. They work for me because I am home a lot of the time and I have good water to wash them in. I do stock my diaper bag with store diapers and use them at night. But most of the time, it's cloth diapers for my little peoples.

Watch Out!

She crawled across the rug last night. She has wanted to move so badly, and now she can. I hope she will be a little more satisfied with mobility than she was just sitting in one spot.

Her brother is not happy about this new development. She can now get to his tractors and other very important toys. This will be an interesting saga to watch. I have a feeling that the word "share" will become very common in my household.

Target and Miracle Mart

Today, my family went to a nearby town to run some errands. I picked up some stuff at Target while my husband had our car serviced at the local Honda dealer. My husband then met me in Target and we hauled our purchases out to the car. I was loading up the stroller into the car when I heard a “pop.” My button had come off my pants and was rolling across the Target parking space. Great. Now I had to hoist up my pants every few steps. My husband told me I was “in” and I looked like those teenagers who wear baggy pants and have to pull them up all the time. Nice. Just the look I want.

Anyway, so, I then head off to get groceries while my husband goes to license a truck of his. As I haul my seven-month-old into the grocery store, I noticed a slight odor. Hmmm. She needs a diaper change. No problem (I’ve changed a few diapers before). I turn towards the ladies room, thankful that Miracle Mart has a nice baby changing station. As I walk into the bathroom, I notice my hand feels moist. I lay my daughter down on the changing table and survey the damage. My hand has poop on it. My shirt has poop on it. My daughter’s pants are filled with poop. Her socks are poopy. I take off her pants and socks and put them in a zip lock bag – there is poop all over the changing table now. Poop is running down her legs. I start wiping. I am going to need a total of at least 50 wipes, and I only have seven.

I strip my daughter down and throw her onesie into the zip lock bag. I pick her up and put her in the sink and start washing her off, all the while hoping that no one would come through the door and see me dumping poop into the sink. I have to keep waving at the stupid paper towel machine to get it to spit out towels. I finally get most of the poop off (and down the drain) and, after wiping off the changing table and drying a baby, I get a new diaper on her. I put a clean onesie on her and breathe a sigh of relief. Wait, I still have poop on my shirt. I wash that off. I now have a big wet spot on my side, but water on my shirt is much better than poop on my shirt.

I get to finish my grocery shopping with falling down pants and a wet shirt.

My husband had one comment:

“I’m sure glad it happened to you and not me.”

Funnder

"Funnder, Mom, it's LOUD funnder!"

We sit and listened to the funnder this evening. It sure is fun! And loud.

Toilet Brush

I bought this cool new toilet brush yesterday at Target. It is red and looks stylish. I was excited about cleaning the toilet with the brush because then I didn't have to use my hands - icky. I got it home and put a little container behind the toilet to keep the brush in.

This morning I started to clean the toilet. 'Ha!' I thought. 'Mom said these brushes do not work and this is working great! I should have bought one of these a long time ago.' I thought how nice it was to keep my hands clean and dry, all while polishing the commode. My mom never had a toilet brush - we cleaned the toilet with our BARE HANDS! What traumatic childhood memories!

I smugly scrubbed around the basin and into the drain part. Then I pulled my brush out of the toilet and noticed something was missing. I was only holding the handle. The brush had come off up in the toilet. I had to reach way up into the drain part of the toilet with my bare hand to get the brush part out.

The toilet brush is now resting comfortably in the garbage can. Maybe Mom was right...again.

Sunday, Sonday

I enjoy Sundays so much! My husband is home - he works six days a week from about 8am to around 10pm, so it's so fun to see him on Sundays! We get to go to church and sing, worship, talk, and learn (well, we had nursery duty today). Most Sundays my husband, son, and daughter all take a nap at the same time - like right now - so I get a very quiet house for a little bit. It's WONDERFUL to have a quiet house for just a little bit. It's a much needed break.

Ahhh, a breath of fresh air!

Storm

Summer storms are amazing. We've had a few in the past few weeks. I enjoy them from the comfort of my cozy, dry house.

Unca Uke, this pic's for you!

Fruit of the Loom

This is my daughter, with her uncle, who has just placed a pair of his (clean) underwear on her head. I'm sure she will be thrilled with her uncle someday, say, at her high school graduation, when this picture comes back out of the archives.

InDo&Jap

Today my mom and sister left for Indonesia, where they live. They visited this summer and I enjoyed being with them so very much! When I was driving away after saying goodbye to my mom and sister, my son said "TURN AROUND!" He did not want to leave his Nana and Aunt.
My brother left today, too, to study in Japan for a year. He will be back to college next year only a state away from me. Much closer than Japan. I hope he will enjoy Japan - I think he will. The culture, I think, will be a good fit for his personality.

The biggest thing I miss is being able to call - to talk on the phone. We talk often via computer, but I miss so much being able to just pick up my phone and call my mom/sister/brothers/dad.

I only have one brother left in the States.

It's getting kind of lonely here.

Bed & Breakfast

Yesterday my family and I went to a bed and breakfast located about 90 miles from my house. I was excited to go - a little getaway for my family while my husband attended some board meetings. We arrived in the evening, ate a little bit of supper (buffalo burgers - yum!), and made some smores over a campfire. My son played with some of the other guest's children. My son and his new friends went in and out of a tent, caught some farm kittens and "held" them (poor kittens), and ran around until bedtime. My son was so excited and wound-up that it took him over an hour to fall asleep - it was almost 12:30am when he finally nodded off. I was having trouble falling asleep, too, and had just ventured into dreamland shortly after 1:00, when my daughter woke up. She was up crying, and she was up at least once an hour for the rest of the night. I think maybe I got a grand total of an hour of sleep??? My husband didn't fare much better. At six in the morning I decided to go home. I put my kids in the car, grabbed some homemade rolls from the gracious hostess, and was home by eight. I took two naps today, but I'm still pretty worn out.

I'm really hoping for a good night's sleep tonight.

Up

My baby girl's motto:
Up All Night, Nobody Sleeps.
I'm tired.

Pics

I took my kids to a local department store to get their pictures taken yesterday. I have been to this portrait studio many times and am usually pleased with their professional photos of my beautiful children. Yesterday, however, was a different story. First and foremost, my son did not have a nap that day, so he was not his normally cooperative self. Second, my daughter fell of a chair (caught by the lightning-reflexed husband of mine, thank the Lord). She was unhurt but crying and scared. She was also fascinated by the cute little bows on the hem of her pants and not at all interested in looking at the camera. Third, the lady taking my kid's pictures was very new and not very good at all. I suggested the poses after a few moments of her standing looking blankly at my wiggly children. She didn't work with my kids well and was not in control of the photo shoot at all. The camera came unplugged. Another photographer came in and took the last pictures for me, probably because she saw what was happening.
The pictures turned out okay, sort of, but I didn't buy that many. I think I will schedule my next photo session when this photographer is on vacation.

Traveling

We recently returned from my family reunion in Texas - I think everyone had a great time.

My son's highlights: airplanes, people movers in the airport, swimming pools, a canoe ride, and potato chips.
My daughter's highlights: lots of grandma time, new teething toys, and a new tooth on the way to Texas (noticed by Nana at the baggage claim in the Dallas Fort Worth airport).
My husband's highlights: the family church service (with lots of "Amen's" and real Bible truths), swimming, seeing his father-in-law, and thankfulness that his kids traveled well.
My highlights: Time with my family (my mom, dad, and sibs) and also all of my fun and crazy relatives, thankfulness for my Godly heritage, wearing a swimsuit and looking okay, and Gaptime.

Regular Day

My Day (not in any particular order):

1. I did lots of laundry
2. I have tractors and Tinkertoys ALL over my floor
3. My son splashed most of the water out of his pool
4. I vacuumed
5. I found a long lost grain cart under the seat in the car - very exciting!
6. I paid some bills
7. I filled up the water tank for my horses

And it's only five O'clock! Lots could still happen....

I really enjoy being a mom that can stay home most days. I thank the Lord for giving me a husband that can provide for us.

I love spending time with my kids!

Changes

I was looking at my brother’s high school yearbook this week, and noticed that a common saying to write is “never change.” I know that is meant to be kind; sort of a saying to tell someone you like them just the way they are. However, if you really think about it, it is a horrible thing to write.

I know I’ve changed since I was in high school. I’ve grown up quite a lot. Boy, am I glad I have! In high school, I did not have the patience or the wisdom to be a wife and a mother. I'm far from a perfect mother/wife, but I've come a long way, and I hope I will continue to learn and change.

In high school, I did not have the knowledge or the passion to help organize Awana, support MOPS, or teach school. I am far from a finished product, but I would like to think I’m changing for the good. I know I’ve been growing more mature as a Child of The King, and I also know I still have a long way to go on my journey to become more like my Savior. But I am changing as He molds me; as I let Him mold me. It would be a terrible thing to never change. To never mature. To never let the Lord turn you into what He wants you to be.

So, please don’t write “never change” in anyone’s yearbook.

Storm

I like summer storms.* Well, as long as they don’t cause major damage to my house, car, or crops. Anyway, back to enjoying summer storms…

A summer thunderstorm sauntered past my house today, causing lots of noise and a little bit of rain. The sky was rumbling, prompting my son to say “THUNDER!” with awe in his voice after every roll from the sky. Soon BIG drops of rain started falling, slowly at first, then speeding up to a full downpour. The rain didn’t last too long; soon the cloud moved on to its next task. Mmmmm, the smell of the air after a rain is so fresh, so new. It’s the smell of starting over, of new beginnings. Everything is clean. The grass and flowers are freshly watered, ready to grow when the sun comes out. And come out it does, soon, to warm and dry the earth.









*The main reason I like summer storms is because my husband usually comes home during a storm because he can’t seed/spray/harvest in the rain. I really like my husband.

Smoke

Why is smoking “cool?” Yuk! My brothers think it is fun to smoke a cigar every once-in-a-while. I think it stinks. Really. Like, smells BAD. Nasty. Icky. You get my point.

Climber

I have a climber. He climbs everything. He scaled the air drill tank last week – he was up the stairs and onto the balcony in the time it took my husband to grab a bag of seed from the quonset. He was a little bit afraid when he got up top on the balcony. Sometimes a little bit of fear is healthy.
Sometimes I think he could climb right up a wall – see the picture!

Dermatologist & Stuff

I took my little girl to the dermatologist today. She has VERY dry skin, but the Dr. said that she didn't think it was Dermatitis. I am supposed to put vasaline on her 3 times a day. Yuk. I think I will do a "test strip" and just try it on her arm for a few days to see if it makes a difference.

I met my mom at my little girl's appointment, and we ran some errands together. It sure is nice to have my mom around to help me out. I am used to doing things myself - it's almost weird to have someone helping me with my kids! I actually got to walk around Target by myself looking for some things that I haven't had time to look for (baskets, new pillowcases).

I bought my daughter a swimming suit today. CUTE! It's size 6-12 months and pink. I wish I looked that cute in a swimming suit. We are planning on doing some swimming this summer (outside in the cheap plastic pool and also at the hotel during my family reunion).

Natives

This is my brother and a friend playing "Native Indonesian Wannabees." Although Indonesians don't dress like this at all...

Crazy Uncles

My kids have crazy uncles. CRAZY, I'm tellin' ya! Fun uncles, yet crazy and occasionally a bit goofy.

Life on the Edge...Of a Volcano

My parents and sister are living in Indonesia. They just HAD to go see the volcano that is currently spewing ash and burping lava. I was e-mailing my dad and sister as they were watching Mt. Merapi, and they were e-mailing me back. My dad thought it was neat - there he was, sitting on grass mats in the jungle, watching an active volcano, while e-mailing his daughter in the States on his blackberry. Crazy modern technology.

Hey, they got some good pictures.

Beautiful Children

I think my two kids are the cutest kids in the whole world. I hope you think the same about your kids, too. It's good that God made parents to have special eyes that see the beauty in their children. I think that is how God looks at his children, too. HE thinks I am beautiful because I am His child. HE thinks I am beautiful in an incomparably bigger way than I think my children are beautiful. Now that I am a parent, I think I understand a little bit more about how God looks at His children, and how he enjoys His children, and how he loves his children.

My Boys

Ahhh, a picture of my boys coming home after a long day in the tractor. They are hungry, tired, and dirty. Very dirty, as usual. During supper, my son excitedly tells me all about the activities of the day. My husband is pleased because he was able to get over lots of acres today, thanks to nice weather, good equipment, and great hired help. It's a good day on the farm.

Hitched

We returned on Sunday from attending my husband's cousin's wedding. We stayed two nights in a hotel and went swimming each night. My son loved swimming and is still talking about "splashing with Daddy." Even my little girl liked the pool. We got to do a little bit of shopping before the wedding on Saturday. Both kids did so well! My son even sat through the entire wedding!! We had to lock the hotel door so my son wouldn't go exploring, but that didn't last long - he figured out how to unlock it (see picture). He's so resourceful.

Doc

The appointment last Friday was encouraging. The doctor said that my son's bite is on the mend, so it's been as bad as it is going to get. The bite looks better and better each day. Now, we just have to get through the rest of the summer of mosquito's, spiders, etc. Yikes!

Together

My son likes to do what his sister does. He doesn't want to miss out on anything!


Other news and thoughts....

There is no more swelling on my son's hand - but the bite still looks nasty. We have an appointment tomorrow to get his bite checked out. More on that later.

My daughter has an appointment for her shots tomorrow. I really don't like those. I feel so bad - getting poked sure isn't fun. I don't know who hurts the most...my kids or me.

Farming sure is a busy occupation this time of year. My husband and our hired man are gone by the time I get up in the morning, and they don't come home until after eleven o'clock. That's on a good day.

I'm looking forward to getting back to quilting someday. I have a few quilts that I want to make. I have been saving up fabric for a burgundy/red and tan star quilt, and I have a pattern for a small farm quilt that would like to make. I also want to make a broken star quilt someday, but that will only happen after I have way more experience quilting. Star quilts need to be pieced very accurately. Someday.

Update

His hand is getting better, or at least it looks like it is. His hand is not hot like it was for the first few days. It's not nearly as swollen, but the bite still doesn't look that great. We work hard at taking care of it every day. He's been so great at taking his medicine and soaking his hand - he is willing to do whatever to take care of the bite. He's been a great little trooper!

Nasty Bite

On Thursday, when my son woke up, his hand had an insect bite on it between his pinky finger and his wrist. His hand was a bit swollen, but I thought it was just the beginning of another mosquito bite season. His hand became more swollen throughout the day, and by evening I was getting worried. The actual bite had turned a red/maroon color, and it was oozing puss-like stuff. My husband looked at it and decided to take him to the doctor. They took a trip to the E.R., where my son was given some antibiotics by i.v. They returned home (by this time it was 2:30am) and we went to bed. In the morning, the swelling was up to his elbow.
On Friday morning we took my son to his doctor (the E.R. people had told us to make an apt) and he looked at it and decided that it is probably a spider bite (possibly a brown recluse??). We have to soak it four times a day and he is on an oral antibiotic to prevent infection. The swelling is down a little bit today (Saturday), but the bite still looks nasty.
The picture was taken on Friday.

The Moon

The moon can be seen at my house and all the way around the world at my parents’ house. It’s comforting to me to think that we are both enjoying the same moon when we are so far apart.

I think the moon is the most beautiful when seen from my front porch.

Beautiful Girl

What a beautiful girl! Her grandpa saw her when she was about a month old and he kept saying "You are so pretty!" I would have to agree. I know I am biased, but that's okay.

So Big!

She sure is growing up! She is big enough now to stand up in her saucer for a little while (with a towel stuffed around her for support). She enjoys it – she is fascinated by all the toys situated around her on the saucer.

Moon Cake

Thanks for the Moon Cake recipe, Mom! I made it tonight and it sure is yummy. Your grandson enjoyed it, too! He even got to lick off the beater.

We were outside today watering the rhubarb and the flowers. Well, I was watering the flowers. He waters the dirt. And himself. But he sure had a good time!

I'm Going to Texas!

We just booked flights to my HUGE family reunion in Texas. I am very excited! I have not seen a lot of my relatives for many years, and none of them have met my children. My husband will be going with us, too, even though it is during a busy time for him. My brother is flying with my family, and we will meet up with my mom and sister, and eventually my dad, on the way there. I will learn how flying goes with a two-year-old and a five-month-old; then add in my brother, who is on crutches. Oh, and Texas in July: HOT! This will be interesting... I can't wait!

Firsts

She rolled over last night. Both my husband and I were watching her while she did it. She got her arm stuck under her after she rolled from back to tummy, and she got rather upset about it, so I had to rescue her. She's a strong little girl.
It's so fun to watch the "firsts."

Tulips

A picture I took of my tulips.

Tulips

I planted some tulip bulbs in the fall two years ago. My soil is thick and doesn't drain too well - not prime soil for tulips. But, I planted them anyway because I wanted so badly to have tulips grow in my flower garden. Last year the poor plants struggled; I was losing hope that my garden would ever be graced with beautiful tulip blooms.
This year I have tulip blooms! I took some pictures of them - they are gorgeous! I might order some more bulbs for this fall.
I'm so excited! Tulips are my favorite flowers.

Smiles & Shares

She loves attention from her mommy. She likes to be kissed on the cheeks, and she smiles when I talk to her. She gets lots of compliments when we go out. People say she's adorable -of course, I think she's beautiful, but I'm biased.
Her brother shares with her very well. Notice the ball in the picture - he gently placed the ball on her when she was fussing so she could play with it. He even shares his food. He gave her an M&M the other day. He put it in her mouth. I had to grab her and pick her up and quickly get it out. Yikes.

Rolling Peas

My son rode with his dad this afternoon. When he got home, he rolled peas* on the living room rug, just like his dad does in the big fields.

*For you non-ag people, pea plants are not very tall, so they have to be combined just a few inches above the ground. In order for this to be done, the field has to be rolled (driven over with a heavy cylinder-shaped roller pulled by a tractor) to push all of the rocks in the ground so the combine doesn't eat (pick) up any rocks at harvest time. This is done before or very shortly after the pea seeds have been planted.

Feeding the Stock

The horses were all lined up for raisin bread today during snack time. They all had a sip of milk from the sippy cup, too.

Growing Up

She’s starting to hold toys and, of course, put them into her mouth. She likes to take her pacifier out of her mouth and look at it and then try to put it back into her mouth. She has lots of discovering to do; it’s a big world out there!

Backhoe

Yesterday we (the whole family plus an uncle) went over to my parent’s house to pick up my dad’s backhoe. We got home after dark so we didn’t unload the backhoe – it is still sitting on the flatbed trailer right outside of our house.
My son thinks it is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to him. There is actually a BACKHOE sitting right outside the window!!!! He looks out the window and then comes running over to me saying “Backhoe! Ampa's Backhoe!” Ahhh, the exciting moments in life.

Reading a Book

Occasionally, he has a moment when he relaxes while reading a book. A book about tractors, of course.

Gifts

I was in bed for 10 hours last night. Ten hours. From about eleven-thirty to around nine-thirty. How is it that I am still so tired? I didn’t mention that not all of that ten hours was sleep time – much of it was spent nursing a baby, burping a baby, rocking a baby, nursing a baby, holding a baby, burping a baby; you get the picture.
I really miss my sleep and it’s much harder to make it through each day when I’m sleep deprived – but I really don’t mind taking care of my baby at night. I enjoy my children. They are precious gifts that I cherish every day. I would not trade even a day with my children for a lifetime of peaceful nights.

Tired

I think I need new batteries.

Sleep

I feel a bit ill. I think it might be lack of sleep. My body gets so tired and run down, and then I become ill. I always look so forward to babies getting a little older so they will sleep better, or so I hope.

My friend has a theory on sleep. She says to kiss sleep goodbye when you have children because:

When you have babies, you are up at night changing diapers and feeding them, so you don’t sleep well.
When you have grade school children, you are up at night because of nightmares, monsters, and various other reasons, so you don’t sleep well.
When you have high school children, you are up at night waiting for them to get home, so you don’t sleep well.
When you children leave home, you are up at night because the house is just too quiet, so you don’t sleep well.
When you are grandparents, you are up at night because of all those aches and pains in your not-so-young body, so you don’t sleep well.

It’s over. I’m never going to sleep well again.

She's a Sweet Baby

She’s growing so fast. She is becoming more and more alert. She knows when she is not getting enough attention and complains about it. She likes to be able to see her mommy or daddy at all times. She loves watching her big brother. She’s a sweet baby.

Farming in the House

I was at the JD dealership yesterday and saw a big (1/32 scale) combine with two headers and I bought it for my son. I’m way soft.
He plays with combines and tractors all day. He often holds a tractor when he takes a nap. He combines raisins on the kitchen table. He seeds the living room rug. He lines up all of his tractors. He then lines them up a different way. He hooks up his wagon to a tractor. He hauls hay with his loader tractor. It’s constant.
He’s almost as bad as his dad.

Drummer Boy

Drums are great, as long as they are not at my house. My little boy loves drums. That is fine with me, once again, as long as we don’t end up with a drum set at my house. This is my cousin teaching my son all about rhythm (at his house).

Streak

They call him the streak. He was sitting on a little stool on the porch, enjoying the warm spring breeze and getting his hair trimmed. When his hair had reached the length so desired, he was stripped down (so no hair would get tracked into the house on his way to the bathtub). He escaped. Running and giggling. Across the front yard, over to the barn, and back again. Good thing we live in the country. Good thing he’s only two.

Some recent NOs:
No, duckies do not like to swim in the toilet.
No, don’t hit your sister with the bat.
Please don’t tackle baby Noah (a friend).
No, don’t throw your spaghetti noodles.
No! Do NOT climb in the washing machine!
Please don’t tackle baby Noah.
Don’t run over the baby’s head with your tractor.
Sorry, you have to stay inside this morning.
Please don’t tackle baby Noah.
Don’t tear the pictures out of Mom’s scrapbook.
Please don’t write on mom’s exercise ball….oh, too late. Oh well.
And the list goes on.......

Hanging With Pops

She is such an alert little baby. She’s been that way since she was born, but now her alert times are longer and more often. She still sleeps a bit during the day and lots at night. When she’s awake she loves to watch her mommy, daddy, and big brother. She “talks” a lot and sometimes complains when she’s not getting any (or enough) attention.