Is Your Tummy Heaven?

Lately our darling little Angel has become very cavalier, often rushed, and even noisy during prayers. This evening I decided to have a more 'in depth' talk with her about why we pray and why prayers are so important to me, and why I therefore hope she will treat them with more reverence. This evolved into her asking to hear the story of "Heaven" which she so often loves at bedtime - which is basically my version of "pre-earth life", etc. Basically, I told her that her Heavenly Father asked if she wanted to go down to earth, and that she decided she wanted to. So, on a very special day (left out here for security purposes because I'm a slightly paranoid mom) a few years ago, He sent her to earth to a mommy and daddy who would love and care for her. At this point in the story, she stopped me and asked "How did he send me down to earth?" Not wanting to get into all the logistics, I simply stated "He put you in my tummy, where you grew your body, and then when you came out of my tummy you were officially on earth." She pondered this a moment and then asked, "Mommy, is your tummy Heaven?" I laughed but quickly realized how reasonable her rationalization was, and how sincere she was in asking. I finally came up with a response, "My tummy is like the bridge between Heaven and Earth" which may sound hokey but which I actually believe. I mean, to actually think about a zygote/fetus being cramped inside a confined womb hour after hour, day after day, week after endless week without some sort of reprive? It just doesn't seem humane. So I believe that, somehow, a fetus floats between "here" and "there" - just my own little take on it anyway. But her simple question has truly changed my perspective on pregnancy (at least for the time being. :) ) I get so wrapped up in the discomfort of it all (the nausea, vomiting, weight gain, stretch marks, heartburn, swollen ankles, digestion woes, fatigue...) that I forget the fundamental fact that, at least in some way, 'my tummy is Heaven.'

Have to jot this down....

before I forget it. I know I've been a blog-slacker lately, but life is just way too busy. Should be calming down here shortly (hopefully) so I will try to get back in the habit, but in the meantime, here's a little tidbit for you to enjoy:

There is a hill near our house upon which the kids LOVE to run up and down. We do this a couple of times a week at least (weather permitting) while I'm waiting for dinner to cook or something. Angel came up with the funniest thing. The first time she did it, I thought it was a fluke, but 2 weeks later, out of the blue, she did the same thing, and now it has turned into an actual game. She runs to the top of the hill and instructs me, "Mom, say TICO (tee-ko)!" I do as told, and she runs down the hill. I am then supposed to say "TICA (tee-kuh)" after which she runs back up the hill. This may lack hilarity and be completely uninteresting to you readers, but as her mother, I find this simply hilarious. Where did she come up with these terms? Is this some sort of secret language - or perhaps a legitimate language of which I am completely unaware, yet she somehow learned? I mean, honestly. Where does she get it? What's even funnier is that her shadow, Grins, has watched us do this and now participates shouting "TICO/A" and then running up and down the hill as if it makes all the sense in the world. Ah, children. What could be more entertaining?

Our Little Doctor...

"Angel"'s new favorite game is playing "Doctor". She is quite good at it, if I do say so myself. The other night she was 'doctoring' Daddy. She looked in his eyes, ears, mouth and nose with her little otoscope and said "Everything looks good!" Then she pulled out her stethoscope and listened to his heart. She seemed to have a distant look on her face and suddenly jumped up, VERY excited, and said, "The baby is almost ready to come out!" with her mouth wide open. Daddy could not stop laughing. She sure is clever!

Creativity, SNEAKY creativity...

Our darling daughter was uninterested in the delicious chicken pot pie her daddy made for dinner this evening. We insisted that she eat at least a couple of bites before excusing her from the table, as she has a tendency to declare "starvation" when going to bed if she doesn't have dinner. She was taking her own sweet time so the rest of us had excused ourselves from the table and were working on the dishes, bedtime preparations, etc when she announced, "I'm Done!"
Her father looked over to see her sitting in front of an empty plate which, just a few short moments previous, had been untouched. He was pleasantly surprised and smug that we must be doing something right as parents when he suddenly saw her holding, somewhat coyly, something in her hand, seemingly trying to conceal it. He opened her hand to find the sock she had been wearing.... but instead of hanging flaccid and empty it was stuffed like a stocking on Christmas morning. We had a good laugh and proceeded to fill her plate with a fresh batch of pot pie (and, of course, emptied her stocking.) She eventually cleaned off her plate.

Now, I've heard of tucking food under one's plate, feeding it to the household pet, and even putting it up one's nose (ask my husband!!) to avoid having to eat it. But a sock? That's a new one. Does anyone have any similarly devious stories to share? :)

This Week

Has it really been a whole week since I posted? Wow? Shameful. I guess such is evidence that things have been even busier than normal this past week. I started a new job 2 weeks ago and, while I am very much enjoying it, am still adjusting to the schedule. This means that, in addition to managing apartments, I am now working 3 part-time jobs for a combined total of 50 hours a week. Yikes! I feel like a college student again. :) For the most part, it is working out and I know things will be winding down within a few months, but it has been slightly crazy lately. Fortunately I have a very supportive husband - partially because he is just naturally wonderful and supportive in everything I do, and partially because he recognizes that my crazy hours are footing the bill for his ever-increasing medical tuition. :) The great thing, though, is that my newest job allows me to bring my little sweethearts with me and spend some quality time with them while I'm working. It is wonderful and I am loving it. A bit busy at times, but so worth it to be able to be with them and still provide for the family.

Another new 'development' is that I've been trying to be more structured in the time I spend with the kids. We had toyed with the idea of putting "Angel" in preschool but decided against it because I really just want more time with her. Instead, I got a big book of ideas for preschool topics, lessons, activities, etc. and have been trying to implement them. It has been AWESOME!! "Grins'" attention span is all of about 30 seconds but "Angel" is happy to sit and listen to me as long as I can talk/read/etc. She is absolutely loving it!!

This past week we discussed the Human Body, Winter and Snow. It was so much fun! We traced our bodies in chalk on the sidewalk, talked about differences in our bodies ("Mommy has a BIG bum, I have a SMALL bum" made me feel great, let me tell you!), and did activities with our bodies such as noises, movements and shapes. It is just amazing what kids will come up with sometimes! We also spent a day on snow and winter, since I am HOPING that winter is drawing to a close and we are entering SPRING! I've just been reading the Eyre's "Values Parenting" book and have decided to start incorporating Values in our 'lessons' as well. And because I am already writing down my menu plan for the week, I figure I'll just add my planned activities too and just turn this post into my own little weekly planner. So, if you're bored, check back later for exciting posts. Or, if you have any great ideas, feel free to share! :) Have a great week!

Menu Plan:

Sunday - Soup (Artichoke/Asiago soup and Butternut Squash soup), crusty bread, green salad
Monday - spring rolls, rice, steamed broccoli
Tuesday - soft tacos (black beans, refried beans, rice, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado), pear/blue cheese salad
Wednesday - clam chowder, wheat rolls, corn
Thursday - margarita pizza (from Costco), green salad, fruit salad
Friday - left overs
Saturday - chicken pot pie, steamed baby carrots


Lesson Plan:

Value of the Month: Respect
Monday - Hands & Fingers (sign language, play-doh, fingerprints)
Tuesday - Letter U (Mom's group preschool)
Wednesday - Hands & Fingers (finger painting, handprints, guessing tactile objects while blindfolded)
Thursday - Legs & Feet (3-legged race, dancing, picking up objects with toes)
Friday - Legs & Feet (painting with our feet, jumping, skipping, animal footprint game)

A Very Happy Un-Birthday to You!

In anticipation of her upcoming birthday (just a couple of weeks away!), Makea was contemplating gifts she would like - it was difficult for her to come up with many ideas since she was so abundantly showered with them at Christmas - but she managed to name one or two. As we sat and discussed it, she decided to think of gifts she'd like to give OTHERS for THEIR birthdays (ever the sweetheart that she is!). This is what she came up with:

Let me first preface this by saying that Jon and I have recently given up our bedroom in order to get a better night's sleep. Sound confusing? Let me elaborate. What it comes down to is this: we have a 2 bedroom apt and 2 children who were consistently waking one another up at night. We tried many different 'solutions', none of which seemed to work. One day we realized it has been about 3 years since we have actually had a good night's sleep, uninterupted, so a lightbulb came on and we decided to separate them at night. Initially, we put a toddler bed in our room for Makea - but that didn't seem to help her sleep better, and it meant there was no room left to walk, so that didn't last long. We finally resigned ourselves to getting rid of our bed and getting a futon in the living room for us. Now, each child has their own room = both are sleeping through the night (knock on wood!) = our backs are slightly sore but = happy, well-rested parents (so to speak). Are we crazy? Maybe. But sleep deprivation can certainly do that to you!

Anyhow, bearing that in mind, we will now return to Makea's Birthday Gift List:

For Kainoa's birthday, he needs his OWN play kitchen because he really likes playing with mine. For Papi we will get a new gate for the office (we put a child gate up so the kids can't get into the computer room and wreak havoc on the electronics - but Jon hates stepping over it so she wants to get him one that opens and shuts). I finally asked, "What does Mommy need for her birthday?" to which she replied "A bedroom!" Wow! Is this kid perceptive or what?

Don't Spoil the Surprise!

Realizing there are just 2 days before my courier transports all of our Stout family's Christmas presents to Oregon, I decided (with just a smidge of panic) that we ought to get wrapping! (Until now I have left things unwrapped, as I have two very avid unwrappers at my house and thought it best to save myself from frustration and my children from punishment, not to mention sparing the lives of several trees in the process...). I asked Makea if she would like to help me wrap while her brother napped. She was, of course, delighted to assist, but quickly realized there were no presents for HER in the mix. "Are there any presents for ME for Christmas?" she asked, with not a small amount of worry. "Of course," I replied, "but I will have to wrap those later, when you aren't with me, so I won't spoil the surprise!" A hint of understanding crossed her furrowed brow and I thought we had resolved the issue. I then tried to explain that GIVING is even better than RECEIVING, because of how much joy we experience with giving. Moments later, I left the room to get supplies, and returned seconds later to find her missing (if you can actually FIND someone MISSING...is that grammatically correct?) I called out to her and heard a tiny voice coming from behind the armoire..."I'm right here, Mom. Just hiding." was her reply. "From what?" I asked. "From the surprise." I was still confused until she explained, "I'm hiding so you can wrap my Christmas presents."

Apparently, the "giving is better than receiving" bit has yet to sink in!

Silent Night, Oh-Lee Night

Along the theme of my last post comes another "Say What?" moment. I apologize for the redundancy of the theme but find I must record little laughs like this lest I forget them later.

This evening at dinner, as is our family tradition, we sang a song together before our blessing on the food. Makea requested "Silent Night." We have sung this many times as a family, but only in the pre-dinner quiet could I fully appreciate her own little version of this classic Christmas song. Here is what I heard, in a sweet and dainty voice, from across the dinner table:

"Silent Night, Oh-lee night. All is cold, all is right. Round yawn verge in mother and child. Holy instrument so tender and mild. Sleep in Heavenly Pee, Sleep in Heavenly Pee."

She looked up at me so sweetly and with such innocence while finishing this song that I had to muster every ounce of self control in my being to hold back the laughter and instead, take her in my arms and tell her how beautifully she sings. This is truly how she believes the song goes, and perhaps tomorrow we will discuss the word "PEACE" and what it means....but for tonight, I can only imagine her thoughts of the sweet baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, wearing a wet diaper. She does, after all, know babies, and this must make perfect sense in her sweet little 2-year-old mind.

Ah, the innocence of children.

On a similar topic (and Krista, I hope you don't mind me posting this - if so, email me and I'll remove it...) please click here and scroll down to the post "Santa, Urine for a Surprise." You will NOT be disappointed!

Say What?

Lately, Makea is constantly asking me to repeat myself several times. When I say something she will almost invariably ask "What?" sometimes as many as four or five times! I noticed my patience shortening and my level of irritation rising at this as it happened more frequently, but I did not want to discourage her curiosity, so I began asking her "What do YOU think I just said?" Prior to me turning the question back around to her, I had assumed she was simply 'tuning me out' which is why she demanded repetition....but upon hearing her responses I've come to realize that she is truly TRYING to listen, but can't always make sense of what she hears. Here are just a few examples of recent conversations:

~ Makea wanted to bring her nutcracker doll to the dinner table. Given our rule of 'no toys at the table' we couldn't allow it, but Jon said "Why don't you sit him over there and he can watch us eat?" "What?" (Jon repeats himself) "What?!" (Jon asks what she thinks he said) "You want him to sit there so he can watch DISNEY???"

~ A Christmas CD of ours has a song with the lyrics "...He was the baby Jesus, O My Lord..." I was singing along the other day when Makea asked "What?" I told her I was singing the song and asked her to sing along. She belted out, in perfect pitch and meter, "He was the baby Jesus, on my nose, He was the baby Jesus, on my nose." I couldn't stop laughing and realized why she had been confused!

The song incident reminded me of similar elements of confusion in my own childhood, (although none quite so comical), mostly relating to songs. For instance:

I was confused at what being a Child of God had to do with having gray knees, and wondered what I had done wrong that my knees looked normal. (Translation: "I am a Child of God, and so my needs are great...")

I wondered where Joseph got a lemon sack in which to carry things, and what exactly a lemon sack was for that matter. (Translation: "...[Joseph] carried bread and goat cheese in a little linen sack.")

Of course, if you don't think any of these are funny, you may appreciate Kevin James on the King of Queens when he tells his wife about a Neil Diamond song about a "Hip Reverend". When she asks him what he's talking about, he sings "...Reverend blue jeans, babe..." (Translation: Forever in Blue Jeans).

Anyone out there have any of their own "Say What?" experiences? I'd love to hear them!

Makea-isms

At least three times a day, my sweet little Makea is says something that has me in stitches!

Case in point.

This morning, she was (as she is often prone to do) pestering her little brother. She LOVES to playfully taunt and tease him. (Being an older sister myself, I must admit, I do somewhat understand her point of view. :) ) As he became increasingly perplexed, however, I called to her, "Makea, what are you doing to Kai-Kai?" To which, in her sweetest, loveliest voice she replied, "I'm driving him crazy!"

Second came later this afternoon as we were playing in her bedroom. But first, a bit of background. Several times a day Makea will ask, "Mommy, how do you say _______ (insert just about any word you can think of, from "Noah's ark" to "spoon" to "hilarious") in Spanish and in Sign Language?" Apparently our bright little inquisitor is set on being tri-lingual. So, with that in mind....this afternoon, out of the blue, she said (insert "Eureka" and a light bulb) "I know how to say Kainoa in Spanish!" "Really?" I mused, "How?". Her reply: "Kai-kee-koo-koo-noa!" This had me rolling for about 10 minutes.

Finally, this evening, we were driving by Modern Display, a store which specializes in decorations of the holiday variety. Last week they added a gigantic christmas tree with a larger-than-life Santa which illuminates at night. This evening as we drove past, Makea suddently, bursting with excitement, shouted "Mommy and Papi! Santa is LIGHTING UP!!!" I saw tears streaming down Jon's face, he could not withhold his laughter!

Ah, I love my children! I can only imagine what Kai will come up with when his English becomes more audible/discernible!