Oma and Opa

Our "Oma and Opa" (Grandma & Grandpa) are paying us a visit from Utah and we are thoroughly enjoying every minute of it!!! It is like Heaven having them here - not just for the kids, but for the Mr. and I too! Our children are loving all the snuggles, stories, and 'horsey' rides, and I am loving the adult conversation, help with the children, and wonderful company! I only wish their visit would last much longer, but we are taking advantage of our time together and enjoying every minute!

Grins is definitely an Oma's boy! The first day they were here, he asked her to read him a book. One book turned into about twenty (Oma is SO accommodating!), and then after a few games and a LOT of tickles, Grins asked if he could take a nap with Oma. Being the wonderful Grandmother she is, she consented, and from then on he's been hooked. He sets the table and tells everyone where to sit, to be certain he gets to sit by Oma. He asks to sit by her in the car, wants her to read him stories at night, tuck him in, brush his teeth, and even get him up from his nap. It is SO endearing to see the love and adoration he has for her and hope they will always share such a special relationship!

Angel is equally enchanted. She spent over an hour this afternoon, watching Oma work on a sewing project. And the morning after they treated us to dinner at McDonald's (a rare treat!), the first thing Angel wanted to do when she awoke in the morning was make a card for Oma and Opa, thanking them for the fun time.

When Oma came up the stairs the first morning, Wiggles was quiet for about 2 minutes - the longest (wakeful) stretch of quiet I've ever known from her (unless she's doing something mischievous like coloring the walls or painting with my makeup...). She snuggled on my shoulder for a minute or two before walking right into Oma's arms for a big hug, and she hasn't been quiet since! Oma and Opa are SO patient with her incessant singing, shouting, etc!

So far, in addition to their company, we've enjoyed a beautiful walk in the cemetery and ponds and some visits to forts and light houses - even a new one we hadn't yet seen! And we are looking forward to a little family history trip tomorrow!

We are so blessed to have such wonderful family! Thank you for the great times and memories, Oma and Opa! Can we possibly talk you into a few more days (weeks?!) You will be missed!!!

Little Sweetheart

As I've mentioned before, Wiggles loves praying. Up until this point, however, her prayers have simply consisted of repeating what we whisper to her, usually to the effect of "Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for this day. We thank Thee for this food. We ask Thee to bless it, to nourish and strengthen our bodies. Please help us to be kind, and to do what is right. In Jesus' name, Amen." She has gotten to the point where she can repeat this almost verbatim, and generally does just that (though usually she prefers the helpful promptings). Even her elder brother and sister often repeat very similar prayers, and we are constantly encouraging them to try to add new or different things to their prayers. Still, when Wiggles prays, you always know exactly what you'll get.

Until yesterday, that is, when she mixed things up a bit. At breakfast (The Mr. was already at school) I went through my normal promptings and she repeated everything beautifully. Until the end. When I started to say "In the name..." she cut me off and said "No, Mommy! Bless Daddy!"

"OK" I said, a little surprised but willing to follow her lead, "Please bless Daddy, in the name..."

"No! Bless Daddy on his BIKE!"

"OK, Please bless Daddy on his bike, in the name..."

"No! Please bless Daddy on his bike - SAFE!"

(Impressed at her detail and this new change of events!) "OK, Please bless Daddy to be SAFE on his bike....anything else?"

"Daddy on his bike, safe on the ROAD! Name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!"

The kids and I had a good laugh about that, but the Mr. was just thrilled when we relayed the story to him later. What a sweet and thoughtful little Wiggles!

I LOVE (and, at times, loathe!) her ever-evolving independence! And she is now at one of my most favorite stages - the one I affectionately refer to as "Kids Say the Darndest Things!"

This morning she was snuggling in my bed when I asked "Are you my little snuggle-bug?" to which she responded "No! I'm just a widdow gowo (little girl)!"

Every time she is struggling to do something on her own, I'll ask "(Wiggles), can I help you?" to which she always responds "No! I'm fine!" (I have a video of this - can anyone tell me how to post it???)

MY FAVORITE: Yesterday, a man at church asked her how old she was, and she simply responded "18 muntz." I could scarcely believe my ears - I have never heard her say this before, but what's more, I haven't told anyone that for several months; I usually just respond that she's "Almost 2" or "2 in November" when questioned....so that's something she's had up her sleeve for quite awhile and probably just never had the occasion to use it until now. I found that hilarious.

Ah, I love my children. They bring such joy - and laughter! - into my life, each day!

First Love

(Unrelated, but this is one of my favorite pictures of Grins. Could he be any sweeter?)

Grins has the special opportunity of being surrounded by girls - besides his older and younger sisters, he is the only boy in his church class, the only boy in his preschool class....the only boy - his age - we know. As a result, all of his friends are girls. Which he doesn't mind one bit, and which has never seemed to make any difference to him.

Today he was priviledged to play with one of his sweet little friends named Chloe. We had a playdate with her this past weekend when she stayed over late while her parents were out, and the two of them were up long past their older siblings (11pm!), giggling and whispering together, despite my many efforts to get them to sleep! Apparently they had a lot of fun together again today, because on the way home we had the following conversation:

Grins: Chloe is my best friend. I actually think I am falling love with her.

Me: Well, it's great to have friends and she's a very nice girl. I'm glad you care so much about her.

Grins: Well, I actually want to marry her. Is there a temple in Maine?

Me (trying to be serious): No, not yet. The nearest one is in Boston, Massachusetts. Remember, that's where I went last weekend....

Grins: Well, I want to move to Boston, Massachusetts.

Me: Why? (Trying to see how far this would go...)

Grins: So I can take Chloe to the temple and marry her.

Me: Well, why don't you just be her friend right now, and think about getting married when you're much older. I would miss you too much if you ran off and got married right now!

Grins: Well, OK. But I definitely want to go to her house again.

Me: That sounds great. We'll make it happen soon.

Where does he come up with this? Why are my children going so fast???!! What a sweet little thing, this lover boy of mine! He'll make some woman very happy some day.....but for the time being, he makes me SO happy EVERY day! I am SUCH a lucky woman!

Wayne, Maine

The little town of Wayne quickly jumped to the top of our 'favorite places in Maine' list this past month. (By the way, don't you think the name 'Wayne, Maine' has a nice little ring to it? Every time I say it, I'm reminded of a line from a song in "My Fair Lady" - "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the pla-ain"......but I digress.)

Our dear friend Bea, at the invitation of her very kind friends the O'Malleys, invited us to spend the week at the O'Malley family camp on Lake Androscoggin. It sounded fun, but we had no idea just how MUCH fun it would be! Beyond it being the first (and much-needed) break since before our big move, and an incredibly beautiful setting, what made the trip most rewarding were the beautiful people we were fortunate to spend time with. Though we were strangers, the O'Malleys and their family welcomed us AND our children(!) with warm hospitality and open arms. They were amazingly patient and attentive with our children, incredibly kind, wondeful chefs (Turkish food! Yum!) and we enjoyed great conversation and company with them! It felt like a little bit of home! Add that to the awe-inspiring view of the lake, the quiet, peaceful serenity of the setting, the opportunity to swim/boat/play in the sand/read/relax/etc all day, and the extra warm weather (allowing us to enjoy the water!), and it was a week of heaven for our family. Pure bliss.

Our children took to the water almost immediately. Wiggles loved the water but was mostly content to simply sit on the sand with her bucket and shovel. Grins entered slowly, with a bit of trepidation at the beginning, but towards the end of our visit was even jumping off the dock on his own! (Wearing a life jacket, of course. As a side note, just so I can remind him someday, I LOVE that he has no qualms about wearing the pink, flowery life jacket. I hope he will always choose what he likes without feeding into silly societal mores.) Angel was a 'water baby' from day 1, but surprised us all with her stamina! She swam across the lake to 'Seagull Island', a little collection of rocks on the other side of the lake (with the help of a life jacket, but still, a LONG way!) And, on the final day of our stay, after we had ventured into town for an ice cream cone and visit to the library, she and the Mr. even swam the entire distance back to camp from town, which equated to quite a distance! Seeing their rapid progress and their intense love for the water made me long to just abandon all reason and move there forever. Or at least, instilled within me a dream of someday living on a lake. It was that great.

The Mr. and I had just as much fun as the children. One day, after several hours of swimming, Angel and the Mr. were floating lazily around in the water when he commented to me, "I feel like I should be doing something. It feels wrong to be this unproductive." to which I replied, "Your children are actually spending time with you - AWAKE - a rare treat for us! This relationship-building, memory making time is entirely productive!" And we proceeded to enjoy it as such without the least bit of guilt. Mostly. :)

It was the picture perfect vacation, except of course for the minor fatality we experienced: our camera. (In my ultra-relaxed state I failed to remember the camera in my pocket before diving into the lake...and the camera didn't appreciate the several hour lengthy submersion in lake water.) Fortunately, Bea got some beautiful shots (she is amazing! Thank you Bea!), so our trip was not entirely un-documented. All in all, it was a week of precious moments during which many friendships were forged and life-long memories made. We are so grateful to the O'Malleys & family and Bea for thoughtfully including us in such a grand time!

Today

Get: laundry in, dishes out, beds made, breakfast on, breakfast cleaned, them bathed & clothed, our teeth brushed & hair done, lunches packed, us out the door, her on the bus, her off to school, him to preschool, her to nap, them fed lunch, lunch cleaned up, laundry out & put away, his owie kissed, the yard cleaned up, his reading lessons, his bike tire pumped, her home from school, after-school snack, hear about her day, house cleaned, books read, homework done, dinner on, them fed, dishes in, kitchen cleaned, house cleaned again, their teeth brushed and jammies on, them in bed, books read, them to sleep,..........and I wouldn't have it any other way! :)

First Day of School

(Warning: Long post)

Since Angel never went to any formal Preschool, Sept 9th was truly her FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL EVER! And she did AMAZING!

She's been looking forward to Kindergarten for months, of course. But her first experience wasn't entirely positive. We arrived in Maine after flying the entire previous day and into the night, getting only a few hours of sleep, then driving the rest of the way. So sweet Angel was exhausted! When we arrived in Portland we learned we would not be closing on our house as planned, and therefore had no place to go (or even live, for that matter), at least in the foreseeable future. So we were quite stressed. Craving some air conditioning (arriving in 96 degree weather at 90% humidity was a bit of a shock!), someplace with free wi-fi (to check the status of our house closing, etc), and someplace to sit down we sought refuge and had lunch at the nearest McDonald's. And then, just an hour or so after

making our way to Portland, it was time for Angel's Kindergarten Orientation. If she hadn't been so excited about it, I would have said "Not today!" But trying my hardest not to allow my own personal stresses/etc to negatively affect my children, I decided we should try to make it. The Mr. and I had to go prove our identity to our loan officer (for the umpteenth time) so Opa graciously offered to take Angel to Orientation in our behalf.

I'm not sure how much of the Orientation she was able to participate in, or how events played out...but the Mr. and I returned from our business to learn that Angel had vomited at Kindergarten Orientation and, as a result, had come home early. To make matters worse, we were on the way to view our house with the realtor. All our clean clothing was packed in the truck and essentially unaccessible, so the poor dear had to ride around town throwing up in a McDonald's happy meal carton, sitting in, and covered with, vomit. Poor thing.

Needless to say, she might not have been thrilled with the idea of Kindergarten.

On the contrary, she was ecstatic. A few weeks before Kindergarten began, I asked if she was excited or nervous about starting Kindergarten. She replied "Both. Mostly excited because I love learning new things. But a little bit nervous too, about people saying bad words or being mean." That touched my heart.

The week before Kindergarten, we went to the Back-to-School Barbeque (once again, driving up to the school late, on our way back into town, though this time from vacation and not nearly as stressed!) She was able to see her classroom and meet her teacher, Mrs. Jordan. She immediately sat down in the reading nook and started devouring books, but when I asked her later what she thought of her classroom she said "I can't believe how many toys there are! There's even a play kitchen!" She also thought her teacher "was really nice!"

Two days before Kindergarten, she went in for "Screening". I waited in the library with Grins and Wiggles while Angel went with various teachers and other helpers for different 'screening' tests. I wasn't sure what all 'screening' entailed, so I tried to question her about it afterwards.

Me: "What did your teacher do with you?"

Angel: "She asked me to read a book about a snowman. But it had very big words."

Me: "Oh really? Well, that should be fine because you're very good at reading big words. What sort of words were they?"

Angel: "No, not long, hard words. Big, tall words. It was a baby book - a board book. It was way too easy for me to read."

Me: "Oh, I see. So you read it just fine?"

Angel: "Yeah. But I didn't learn anything new."

I questioned her about the other various places she went, and she responded "In one room, I had to count a bunch of plastic teddy bears. Then, another lady told me 3 different stories and then asked me to tell one of the stories back to her. So I did." Her teacher told me she would be putting Angel in an older reading group since she is reading at such an advanced level, and one of the other adults said "Wow! She did amazing! You must read to her a lot! She is definitely ready for school!" I was so pleased, but also a little concerned that she might not be adequately challenged in school, since everyone was so surprised at how well she did. I suspect we shall do a lot of supplementing her education at home. But I am certainly happy to do so!

Finally, the moment arrived. Angel wanted to ride the bus and, though I was nervous at first, I decided to allow her to, at least for the time being. We went to her bus stop the day before school, to see where it would stop, etc. And when the bus came around the corner, I could no longer hold back the tears. Tomorrow, my baby would be getting on that bus and leaving me for 6 hours a day! I could not

bear the thought! But seeing her smile and watching her excited wiggle as she anticipated going to school the next day melted away my sadness. I knew that this was a big, exciting step, and that, rather than wish it away, I needed to excitedly support her. So I wore sunglasses (to hide any tell-tale tears) and a smile the first day of school!

Angel came into my room, fully dressed, at 5:20am Thursday morning (the first day of school). "Can you do my hair, Mommy?" she asked. I laughed (I was awake in bed trying to get Wiggles back to sleep) and asked "What are you doing up so early?" "I don't want to miss my bus! It's my first day of school!" was the reply. I couldn't convince her to snuggle with me; she was too afraid of missing the first day, and too excited to sleep anyway. So we got up and ready.

We were ready to go a full hour and a half before the bus arrived! :)

The Mr. went into work late so that he could share in the excitement of Angel's first day. And it was a good thing he did! When the bus came, Angel's grip on his hand tightened and she wouldn't let go. So fortunately, her sweet bus driver let the Mr. join her on the bus. (He was the only parent - what a sport!) (Had he not been there, she would have had to go alone, since the bus prohibits siblings...)
I drove like crazy to the school and after an eternity trying to find a parking spot, go to the playground (aka drop off zone)

in the nick of time. It was a zoo! I was SO glad we were there with her - I can't imagine how overwhelmed she would have been all alone! We were able to walk her to her classroom and help her find her seat.

The two other children at her table were crying miserably - so sad! - but Angel took everything in stride. I asked if she were nervous and she said "No, not really!" I gave her a kiss and said "Let me know when you're ready for me to leave." to which she replied, "I'm fine, Mom. You can go!" I had to pry Wiggles away - apparently she was ready for her first day of school too - and we left. Angel didn't give us so much as a second glance (as you can see in the picture below...I snapped a photo as I left and she's not even looking back!) And I was glad; it made leaving SO much easier! I don't know how the moms with crying children left, I certainly couldn't have done it!

I convinced Angel to let me pick her

up from school on the first day,

because I couldn't bear the thought of waiting another second to see her and hear about her day! We picked her up on the playground and I asked "How was your day?" She didn't want to talk - just wanted to play on the playground (unwinding, I suppose) as though recess had only whetted her appetite for playground play. As we walked home, however, I was able to get little tidbits of explanations of her day. "Kindergarten is longer than I thought. It was really long." and "We had to lay down for quiet time for a long time. When I sat up and looked around, everyone was just laying there. My teacher wouldn't even let us read!" My favorite: "We were so busy learning all the rules that we didn't even have time to learn anything! I haven't learned anything new yet!" She also mentioned "Mom! I got to eat at the cafeteria! It was healthy and they didn't even make me pay!" (I had sent her with a very special 'cold' lunch, explaining that hot lunches aren't quite as healthy, plus we don't want to spend the $ for 'hot' lunch everyday. But I said it off-handedly and not specifically enough...... apparently they let Kindergarteners run up a tab in the cafeteria, so she assumed she had gotten a free lunch and that, since it was "healthy" (salad wraps), she totally scored! :) I thought that was hilarious!)

Fly Lady

I have had a difficult time keeping on top of things - moving in, unpacking, fixing things with our work-in-progress of a house, in addition to the never-ending every day cleaning and meals. A friend recommended the "Fly Lady" website so I signed up for it yesterday. Today I read something I LOVED that I just had to share for you mothers out there (written by Fly Lady). It helped me see things differently and gave me a much-needed (and much-appreciated) attitude adjustment!

"Each day we continue to do the same things over again; Washing clothes, doing dishes, Folding clothes, dusting and sweeping floors. It is a never-ending procession of things that need done. When you look at these chores as work, you start to dread doing them. Change your attitude from work to blessing. When you do things for your family and to your home to help your family, you are giving them tender loving care. I like to call this blessing our home.

As you pick up a dish to wash it, be thankful that you have had food to feed your growing babies and nourish your bodies. As you fold that unending pile of laundry, your hand loves each and every member of
your family. Let go of the martyred attitude and nurture your family with love and kindness."

Day Out With Thomas

Thanks to a very generous Oma and Opa (Thank you!!), Grins thoroughly enjoyed a Day Out With Thomas Father & Son (& little sister) Date for his birthday this year! We gave him the option of going with Mommy or Daddy, and he (of course) chose Daddy! But, being the ever-caring brother he is, he asked if his sisters could go as well. We explained that we only had 2 tickets; one for him, and one for a parent, but he insisted on Wiggles joining when he realized she wouldn't need a ticket. And, since he had a point and was trying to share, we couldn't argue with that! (Angel was disappointed but enjoyed a special Mommy-Daughter day!)

After getting a card in the mail with the money for his tickets, Grins asked us every day "Is today my day with Thomas?" So when the big day arrived, he could hardly believe it! After a looooong drive to the Boothbay Railroad, he was beside himself with excitement. (Notice him running up to the park with his arms in the air! And Wiggles running after him, as usual.)

Grins was thrilled to see a "real, live Thomas" the tank engine - and even more excited that he got to ride on him! But the train ride was only the beginning....

The Thomas ride was hard to beat, but Grins also really enjoyed the 'mini train' ride (pulled by a tractor, and the hay ride.

Wiggle was most delighted by her "Thomas tickow" (Thomas sticker aka temporary tattoo). After they placed it on her arm, she walked around for the rest of the day saying "wook at my Thomas arm".... she wanted to be pushed on the swing on her 'thomas arm' and insisted on showing it to anyone who would look. Who needs an $18 ticket when you can get $1 pack of temporary tattoos anywhere? :)
Of course, a bouncy house is always a good way to expend some extra energy....and if said bouncy looks like Thomas, what more can a kid ask for?

All in all, I think it is safe to say that a fun time was had by all in attendance, and this is a birthday present Grins will remember for years to come! Thank you again, Oma & Opa! Wish you could have been here to see him enjoy it! :)

My Little Man

Dear Grins,

I can't believe how much you've grown! SLOW DOWN! How I wish I could go back to you as the happiest baby on the block - patient, happy, content and giggly. Of course, then I would miss the big boy you have become.

You are such a gem. What would I do without you, my son? You are the calm one between your spirited sisters. Yet you remain so sensitive, always stroking me gently, giving me kisses, and making sure everyone is happy. You are ever the peacemaker, always giving in when you and your (usually older) sister are arguing over something. "(Angel), you can have this seat if you want it, I'll choose another one." You have your own opinions about things, but making peace is more important to you than getting your way. Even today you gave Angel half of your brand new silly bands, because she wanted them. Now that's love!

(Grins, 3 yrs old)

You are quite the ball of energy! I love seeing you RUN back and forth, around and around in the house. And the way you hold your hands up when you run is just too cute! You do enjoy your pedicures (since I won't paint your fingernails!) and do occasionally dress up, but you are certainly a BOY, through and through! You love Dinosaurs, Cars, Trucks, Batman, Spiderman, and all things sports. You want to be a Pilot when you grow up. You love helping Daddy build and fix things. Everything turns into a weapon or a 'whacker' (sticks/etc used to hit anything - and everything - around you.) And you can already outrun your (older) sister!

(Grins, 2 yrs old, with Teddy)

You are growing up in other ways as well! You still love Puppy, Blankie and Teddy, but you no longer require them to sleep. And you are really becoming courageous! For example, you are (finally!) willing to use public restrooms with 'black eyes' (automatic motion-detected flushers) as long as I cover up the 'black eye'. This is a big step! You also have a keen eye for right vs. wrong, but you love everyone. "Oops! He's drinking coffee." or "Uh-oh, that (shirt-less) man forgot his modesty." or, my personal favorite, "Oops, she's 'cigaretting'!" "But Jesus said love everyone so I still love them."

(Grins, 1 yr old)

You love your family so much, and will do anything to protect your sisters from any possible threat (such as a bee, a spider, or someone 'being mean'). You told me the other day "I love my family SO much! Even more than food!" That's when I knew things were serious! :)

(Grins, 1 day old)

You are such a joy! You have the most infectious giggle, and I LOVE your dimples when you smile. Please, my son, remember who you are. Treasure your meekness, your gentleness, and the love you have in your heart. These characteristics will serve you well.

I love you, my sweet 4 year old!

Love, Mommy

Happy Anniversary to Us!

9 years ago today I married my best friend and sweetheart. I thought our first year of marriage was wonderful, but that was only the beginning! The Mr. has been the picture of a (nearly) perfect husband from day one and, though we've had our ups and downs like any couple, things just keep getting better!

I could go on all day about what I love about The Mr. and our marriage, but due to lack of time because of the beautiful life we've created together :) I'm going to keep it short and sweet:

9 Things I love about The Mr.

1. He is an amazing father. Our children adore him, and I adore watching him with them!

2. He is the most supportive husband I've ever known. He supports my every whim, even the silly ones, without even rolling his eyes! :)

3. He is so gentle. He has never once raised his voice at me.

4. He is the hardest worker I have ever known. This is saying something, because I was raised by 2 incredibly industrious parents, so I know hard work when I see it!

5. He is incredibly strong. Seriously. As in, several people have asked him if he takes some sort of supplement (or steroids). No joke.

6. He loves the Lord. He cares far more about pleasing God than man.

7. He is so patient. With everyone, but especially with me.

8. He is constantly trying to better himself. Spiritually, academically, physically, etc. Amazing!

9. He is gorgeous. I know, petty, but let's be honest, my husband is a looker! (I have even had several friends comment on this fact so I know I'm not just biased!)

Thank you for the past 9 years, our beautiful children, and our incredible life together. I love you. Here's to 99 more!

Enjoying the Casco Bay

Some new friends invited us to go boating on the Casco Bay with them and we had a BLAST! The kids had never been boating before, at least as far as I can remember, and this was definitely an eye opener for them! Speed boats are windy and bumpy - so it took a little while for them to warm up to the idea (note Grins' face and Wiggles clinging to me for dear life!) At first they (especially the younger 2) were shouting "Stop! Let's go back! Scary!" and so on. But I finally distracted them by pointing out the buoys - and once Wiggles started saying "booo-eeeee" none of us could stop laughing, and even Grins loosened up and started enjoying the ride.

We started at Cousins Island and went around the bay. We saw seals, lighthouses, other islands, and were just headed back around when we hit a sandbar (oops!), resulting in lots of loud noises and jolts. After a moment of panic and Grins freaking out, he suddenly shouted "Wait! We won't drown! We're on sand! It's OK!" It was so cute! Fortunately our 'Captain' did an excellent job maneuvering us out of the sand bar and we made it home safely, and with the boat in one piece! :)

We love living so near the beautiful ocean!!

Humid

I have a love-hate relationship with the humidity here. I hate that it makes a warm day seem unbearably hot and sticky. But love that it makes Wiggles' hair do this:

So somehow, it's worth the mugginess. :)

Way too much fun with the scanner

Today as I was scanning some documents, I left the room momentarily and the kids (including my oldest child, the Mr.) started playing around. When I returned, I found some interesting scans....

Slumber Parties

When the Mr. is on call (read=overnight shift at the hospital), Angel and Grins and I have 'slumber parties' - which essentially involves the 3 of us all going to bed - in my bed - together. This makes for extra stories, lots of snuggles, plenty of giggles....and, eventually, me sleeping in one of their beds because of how MUCH they move around at night! This is how I found them, the morning of our last 'slumber party':

the Miss Independence-s

Although it's August now, we have two young girls who still insist on celebrating their own personal independence each and every day. It is delightful. (Grins does too, in his own ways, but his sisters seem a bit more adamant about it at times. He is our agreeable peace-maker most of the time!)

Angel, who is 5 and will be entering Kindergarten in just a couple of months, no longer needs help reading at all! During our morning devotionals we help each child read a verse of scripture. It never occurred to us to have Angel do it on her own because we assumed the scriptures would be 'too difficult'. But a couple of weeks ago, Angel just began reading her verse before we could even start. She got through even the longest of words without so much as a second thought, and the Mr. and I looked at one another with tear-filled eyes as we realized how much our baby has grown. Now she's just a regular old reader, as if she's been reading her entire life. She devours every book she can find, and is particularly helpful at reading books to her younger siblings if I need to get dinner on the table. She is often asking "Mommy, why does that sign say ----?" or "What does ----- mean?" I am amazed and proud and a little bit sad all at the same time. Would that I could make time stand still, I love my children so much and am enjoying them and this stage in their lives, so signs of progress are bittersweet. But I'm pleased with her nonetheless.

Aside from the reading, Angel's writing and artistic abilities are flowering as well. Several weeks ago we wrote letters to "Uncle Adam" - our brother/uncle who is busy serving a full time mission for our church. She insisted on writing a letter herself:

For those of you not fluent in Kindergarten-ese, this: "To Umkul Abum Hav u gr8 (clock) techyng at pypels (house)is" read this: "To Uncle Adam, Have a great time teaching at peoples houses." I love her creativity! :)

Wiggles, on the other hand, is busy asserting her independence in other ways. When I try to do anything for her (from helping brush her teeth to getting her dressed to helping her down the stairs) she insists "No! Self!" (meaning: No, I want to do this myself!") I try to allow for her independence but must be more vigilant about keeping my eye on her while doing so; the other day she pulled a big box of crayons off the counter, resulting in crayons all over the floor. I said "(Wiggles), let's clean the crayons up!" and began putting the crayons back in the box. "No! Self!" she demanded, so I left her and the crayons while I went to start breakfast. I didn't give it another thought (you'd think I would have considered the danger of crayons by now, having 2 older children!) until a moment later when I noticed the silence...(silence + an 18 mo old= MESS!) I ran to check on her and this is what I found:

In case you can't tell, that's black crayon ALL over my lovely, new, hardwood floors. And Wiggles eating the crayon. And smiling. And this picture only shows about 1/3 of the damage. Thank goodness crayon rubs off or I would have been crying instead of taking a picture.

I love my girls and I know their independent spirits will serve them well in life!