Ju-Ju-isms

Life with a 21 month old is full of surprises and sweet moments that make you smile, which is a good thing because lately there are also frustration tantrums when she isn't allowed to do something. As Julia approaches "two" (I am shocked at how freely I say that because inside I yearn for my baby), many of those laughs come from the cute things she says...

"PEE-PIECE"= pizza, loves the stuff- Our family splits a large pizza into equal quarters. We eat a lot of pizza around here. We've been going to Lubranos weekly for pizza and Julia stands in her high chair and dives after the waitresses as they walk by with food- you'd think she never eats! Her cute smile and wave help as we peel her off the food of our fellow patrons.

"MOMAS"= Thomas the Tank Engine, a favorite of hers, thanks to her big brother, she can also name most of the other engines, too. When did she learn all this?

"A-DORE, A-DO"= Dora and Diego

"TOE-EY"= Chloe the cat, she bellows this in a loud singsong voice that sends Chloe running to higher ground- Chloe's been around toddlers long enough to know better (though she does kiss Julia on the nose every night before bed) Imagine Elmyra Duff from Tiny Toons "I'm gonna hug you and kiss you and love you forever! I love kittens, I love kitties, love them into itty-bitties!" That's Julia :)

"BWESS ME"= God Bless You, her response when anyone coughs or sneezes. We've tried to coorect her and say "bless YOU", to which she says "bwess me". We say "no, bless YOU", she laughs coily and says "nooo!" It's amazing she's smart enough to know her pronouns already.

"CUP-Y, HEAD-Y, HAT-Y, KISS-Y, BALL-Y, etc"= Julia's new way of saying everything. Where does she get this? None of us talk this way or ever have. She's becoming a real girly-girl overnight. She also prances on her toes around the house, especially when she's excited.

"ANNMEE"= Julia's beloved "other Mommy", her preferred source of comfort. If she ever runs away from home, I'll know where to find her :) It's hilarious to watch Allison and Julia jockey for position in her arms whenever they're with her. They stand by the door and anxiously wait her arrival and mom better get out of the way when Annmee's around. Thanks Claire for sharing your mommy with your friends- your a real trooper :)

"A-GO"= Here you go. She'll say it a few times, but then you better answer because whatever she's dangling is about to be dropped- look out below.

"NANK NOO"= thank you- She has such a sweet heart and thanks everyone for anything given to her. We hear it so much and still smile every time. You can help but smile :)

She has actually had an explosion of speech this past week and is now using 2, 3, & 4 word sentences. She is also repeating everything she hears which Carter loves. It's like having your own circus monkey, but at least she's learning in the process. I'm thrilled she's saying more. She talked and signed early and then kind of stopped with what she had. i of course blamed myself for not talking and reading to her enough, but apparently she has been listening all these months- just didn't feel like talking.

We love you Ju-Ju and are excited to hear all you have to say- happy and mad.

I just hope you can get a word in edgewise with your brother around :)

I'm Hooked

My current addictions.....

It could be worse right?

I go through phases of things I'm hooked on and right now it's Gummy Calci-vites and tulips. I know totally random. I've always loved tulips, so delicate and perfect. The way they grow and change every day. It just screams hope and new life. And the timing could not be better. Every winter as the dreary coldness and sickness trudges on seemingly neverending- it happens. The tulips appear in stores. Like a small bright light saying, "spring's right around the corner!", "hang on it's coming :) " My hubby sent me beautiful tulips for Valentine's Day this year. The kids appreciate them, too. When they arrived at the house- Carter said, "Look, Daddy sent me flowers!" And he loved cutting and arranging them. Julia points them out and says "fwo-wer". I enjoyed every day and was so sad to see them go. Thankfully, Harris Teeter had an answer to my problem- "2.99 tulips" They have graced my counter every week since and brought a smile to my face :)

And then there's the vitamins and I use that term loosely. These things taste exactly like candy and I know you all know that, too. I'm not the only one out their who sneaks a flintstones. I bought them for the kids and they loved them. I made the mistake of following them with the fish oil version and they were tainted for good. They weren't about to try again. So what to do with the new bottle? They're mine now. Each one is 100mg of calcium, so that means 5-10 a day- yes! If you're like every other woman in America you don't get near your RDA for calcium- especially if you've had kids, they leech it right out of our bones-literally! So, how to keep from downing the whole bottle. I use them as personal rewards- unload the dishwasher=2, fold laundry=2, put it away=3, etc. I know, I sound like a kid- but it works, so I'm sticking to it. Thank goodness for Costco.

Some of my other current addictions...

• kix and chocolate chips, yummo!
• ice water with lemon juice
• lip gloss
• checking email
  
• Dove chocolate squares- sweet, melting paradise :)
• Eucerin Plus hand cream- finally one that works!
• yoga pants- no waistbands, a mom's best friend
• mary jane crocs- I had to do something for my aging body- the dollar bin variety were no longer cutting it
• reading blogs
  
• ice cubes gum

What are yours?

A Soccer Mom

I think it's official...I'm a "soccer mom". Our Saturday was a full day of activity starting with gymnastics in the morning (to make-up for the class we missed Tuesday), changing into soccer gear (I'm now officially one of those moms who changes my kids clothes in the back of the van!), lunch in the car, soccer pictures, and then his first game. Crazy morning, but it was so much fun. The teams play on a small field 4 on 4 with no goalies and the coaches are on the field, too. Most of the kids were excited, except about three who cried on and off the whole game, but if you know and 3 and 4 year olds- that's totally normal. Carter played in the first period and as he had predicted- scored the first goal!

Carter- breaks out of the pack, dribbles down the field on his way to the goal...

He shoots...

HE SCORES!

Everyone was screaming. The look on his face was priceless! He has some good ball control and is pretty darn fast for being on of the littlest on the field. It was a fun game to watch. Carter, Izzy, and Caleb really have a grasp of how to play and are probably the biggest threat to each other when it comes to stealing the ball. Only one goal was scored in the wrong net and overall they did a great job. The kids all looked so cute in their uniforms and only in the south do all the little girls wear bows to match their jerseys :) Carter's also enjoying the "coed" sports. He always takes some time to charm all the girls on the team :)
They don't keep score, (but they won 7-5). We hated for it to end and can't wait until next time. I must say if this is what it means to be a soccer mom, sign me up!

After the game we rushed home, gave Julia a nap, worked in the yard, made food for church, and headed out to our class' Easter Egg Hunt. Carter was such a gentleman walking Hailey in and offering to carry her basket (though she wouldn't let go) It was inside again this year due to thunderstorms, but fun none the less. We had 38 kids 4 and under. They were so sweet with their baskets, running and squealing. Every year they're so surprised to find treats in their eggs.



We then had a yummy potluck dinner and set them all loose to play in the gym. It was organized chaos, but lots of fun. Until Ms. Julia took a basketball to the face. Oh the blood, it was everywhere! Poor thing cut the top of her teeth and her lip and had blood on her hands, face, dress, white tights, even her bloomers. She healed quickly and happily held the ice on her mouth. We all left covered in blood, but smiling nonetheless- an egg hunt to remember :)

We're Going to the Zoo Today, We're Going to the Zoo!

It's been a gorgeous weather week- sunny and warm. Today it hit 70 degrees and we couldn't resist the chance to visit the zoo. Our friends joined us for a great day at the zoo.

Lily, Claire, Ginny, Carter, Julia, Giselle

We saw the giraffes (Carter's favorite), zebras, hogs, ostrich (Ginny's favorite), lions, gorillas, chimps (they were running around like crazy and yelling- we felt right at home), tropical birds and frogs, turtles, baboons (we loved watching them play chase and hide and seek), rhinos, and elephants (Lily's favorite). The zoo is spread out along winding trails. The big kids did great and walked almost the entire day! It was really cute to see the older ones really get into the planning of the day. They each had a map they were using to direct our path. Their reading skills are growing everyday :)

(We couldn't help wondering if these two will one day go on road trips together...so cute.)

It was a perfect day to be outside enjoying our surroundings. The kids all loved climbing, running, jumping and exploring all the rocks, trees, leaves, and statues along the way. It's amazing how well the little ones keep up already. They're right in the middle of the action.


We had a yummy lunch and then the much anticipated carousel rides. Each kid eagerly picked out their favorite animal to ride. They smiled and giggled the whole ride and were sad to see it end. We love these simple pleasures :)

We were so impressed how good everyone was- they lasted until 3pm! with little more than a whine. (Okay, well there was about 10 minutes of "temporary 3yr old insanity". If you have one you know exactly what we mean. Their daily dose of irrational yelling, kicking, thrashing that makes 3 yr olds so spirited :) We still love ya Lil!) It was a memorable day and we can't wait to go back soon! We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends. Watching my kids grow in their own friendships and seeing them loved so dearly by my friends is every mother's dream.

Our Soccer Stud

Spring has sprung and soccer is in full swing. This is our first season as one of the thousands that play youth soccer. Surprisingly, Carter's never shown an interest in soccer in his plethora of backyard activity. It seems every kid in the state plays soccer, and many of the really young ones probably would rather not, so we never pushed it with him.
As the dreary days of winter trudged on, Carter took an almost overnight interest in soccer and began playing in the living room daily. He is big into competition these days and tee-ball doesn't start until June, so we said why not try soccer? We looked into leagues and found a great one right in our backyard. We had missed the deadline by a day, but they kindly let us sign up anyway. And so the hunt for cleats began. We thought finding little cleats was hard in the summer, but apparently the rush on footwear happens even earlier than February around here- jeez people. We were finally successful- thanks Omega Sports and the wait for the first practice began...

Carter happily donned all his gear and headed to the first practice. Ten 3 and 4 yr olds, 5 girls and 5 boys lined up each with their colorful new ball. The cheerful coach asked, "Who has played soccer before?" Every one of them raised their hands, as all the parents mumbled "no". After all, the backyard and the aisles of Sports Authority count, right? Maybe we have some work ahead. After some warm up exercises, they began drills. They started with each child taking a straight shot on the goal (Carter saw this as an opportunity to jump in the goal and block everyone's shots- not exactly the idea, but hey at least he understands the game.) Then they played Red Light, Green Light, everyone got their snack and called it a day. The first game Saturday should be interesting, especially when they find out there's only one ball...

Fortunately for Julia there's a great playground 15 feet from the practice field :)


Carter was beaming for hours. He loved everything about it. They are the Dragons and he treasures his shiny new silver jersey. When he came home he announced, "Number 6 (him) is gonna score the first goal with his fire-fast power foot!" Look out world, here he comes :)
As I put him to bed that night we talked about the day and the fun he had at practice. After we said his prayers he asked, "Mommy what comes after soccer?" I said, "Tee-ball." He answered, "No, after soccer and tee-ball, what sport comes next?" "I don't know Carter". After a long pause to think he said,
"Ice hockey."

"Good night Carter."

Some of my favorites...

I just had to share these pictures from the past few days.

We just love Julia's curls!! Having stick-straight hair myself, it is such a surprise to see these curls that seem to have sprung up overnight. My sweet brown-eyed girl :)

Here's what happens to them when it rains...


No, you haven't missed any big news. (this one's not ours.) Sweet little Isabella stays with us on Thursdays while her mommy finishes law school. It has been such fun for all of us having a newborn around. Carter is particularly smitten with her and likes to hold her, give her his blanket (because she likes soft things), feed her, burp her, and love on her. It melts my heart to see how gentle and loving he is with her, such a sweet boy!...


Julia loves to help me out around the house. She particularly likes folding laundry. She pulls the clothes out, tells me whose it is, shakes it (like I do), "folds" it, and makes piles on the table. She also chooses her favorite items to put on. Here she is in a pair of my underwear :) It amazes me how well this child can dress herself with no help or teaching she can do pants, underwear, socks, shoes, coats, and is working on shirts!

Let the Sun Shine!

Spring has come in like a lion! It was 72 degrees today and the sun was gloriously warm :) We met our friends at the playground for lunch and playtime. I don't know who was smiling more- the kids or the moms! It felt so good to be warm for a change. The kids had a ball running around pretending together, riding bikes, climbing and sliding over and over, eating everyone else's yummy snacks, running barefoot, swinging, making new friends, and Carter learned to slide down the pole all by himself! We look forward to many more warm days with the gang. We pray we have a nice long spring and the HHH (hazy, hot, humid) temperatures wait till summer :)

Confessions...(sorry Mom)

When Billy is out of town for work, there are many nights I go to bed with the kitchen a mess. I know my Mom would be aghast that I could sleep knowing it looked this way :) But I'm fine with it. Now in my defense, I think it matters that I'm not leaving it for someone else to do- I am the "someone else". I've just found my nighttime hours to be so precious to my sanity, well-being, and spiritual health. Getting to spend an hour (or sometimes 2, 3, 4 hours...) doing 'my thing' in the nice clean living room while it's quiet and peaceful...aahhh :) perfection. The amazing thing is, as much as I dread doing this at night it only takes me 20 minutes after breakfast and I'm happy to do it. So hopefully Mom can forgive me on this one :)