Catching a few minutes to read

Somewhere in the past 3 months, I have caught a few minutes at a time to read.  (thanks FLC!)  The last three reads have been quite varied. 

The first: (the most interesting of several of the genre I checked out of our library) Preparedness Now by Aton Edwards.  It was an interesting resource for every type of emergency you might come up against.  Tried to tuck as much information into my head as possible...everything from how to cook without a stove to what plants are poisonous etc...

Another book was one I have had on my shelf for a long time, always meaning to read.  John McNab by John Buchan.  (my Grandma calls this one of her "pet" books)  I enjoy John Buchan's other adventure books immensely (the old movie The 39 Steps is based on one of his books).  This book is another adventure story that takes place in the countryside of Great Britain.  Three respected business men dare three local estate owners that they can poach without being caught--all under the unknown name of John McNab.  What happens afterward is cunningness mixed with romance. 

Lastly, I just finished Coach Mom by Brenna Stull.  This was a book that we studied this summer in a ladies Bible study at church.  Brenna gives lots of practical application on how to make life easier and better organized.  Many of these tips are things I have learned either by trial and error or my mom did growing up, but even for the few nuggets of new stuff, the book was worth a fast read.

a quiet party

Despite many thoughts and rethoughts to the contrary, we had only a small quiet birthday party for David this year.  Just us. 

We went out that morning to Toys 'R' Us to pick out a gift with a coupon he had received.  He chose a  John Deere "diggert."  Then we wound up our trip going to Sam's Club for lunch (pizza and coke) and picking out a birthday cake there. 

After Daddy got home, David opened his presents.  Grammy and Grandpa Weyler had given him a Thomas book.  Yeah!  Great Grandma K sent money that had been used to purchase a Cars lego set. And D unwrapped his gifts from us: the digger, a flashlight, and a bag of gummy octopi. 

After dinner, we enjoyed a yummy strawberry key-lime cake. 

Thank you God for my big 4 year old!

His CHL

Can you tell D is packing heat??? Where did he learn this?

 

***for those outside of Texas :) , CHL=concealed handgun license

Sleep deprived less

Still exhausted but for two nights in a row A has slept close to 9 hours. Two nights ago it was 8:30-5:30 (and back to sleep for another 1 1/2 hours). Last night it was 7:15-4 with another 3 hours after that. Perhaps there is the light at the end of the tunnel?

Claimed for the Lord

David held the door open for me today.  I complimented him on being so strong and grown up.  He said, "I am a man of God.  That's what Daddy says.  That's why." 

I love it!  This is the second time I have heard David proudly stating that he will be a Man of God since that is what his Daddy has declared him to become.  Thank you, Michael!  I have a huge smile on my face!  There is nothing I want more for David.

To eat or not to eat, that is the question

Bizbeth is now 17 months old. 

I thought the struggle of eating was getting better.  I was wrong.  It is true that E will now eat peanut butter and jelly (a battle for months), hotdogs, and chicken nuggets, but that is quite literally all!  Even chicken parmesan (which looks virtually identical to chicken nuggets) was looked at with disdain.  Her favorite word is "cwackuh!"  If the pantry door is left open, she will often come into the room where I am carrying the huge container of animal crackers.  She is not particular about crackers though...goldfish, cheerios, chips, or any other toasted carb will also serve her purposes.  Sometimes even her favorites are scorned.  This food battle has often sent a little girl to bed without eating.  It has to get better sometime though... (D certainly is much better now)
I laughed when I read this question on a humorous parent's quiz:

"Solve this logic puzzle:
Given: Penny (insert D or E) loves eating carrots.
Given: Penny is having carrots for lunch.
Ergo...
      A.  Penny will eat her lunch
      B.  Penny will eat her lunch and then spit it out all over the kitchen.
      C.  Who knows? Logic does not apply to toddlers."

Aside from the moments of frustration over eating, there have been many sweet moments with my willful little girl.  She is a natural "mommy." She loves to put Abigail's pacifier back in her mouth or "burp" (a little too hardly) the baby.  She loves to kiss Abigail.  She will scream if D gets to hold A, but those screams quickly turn into huge smiles when the baby is careful placed in her lap.  What a big helper she will be when she gets a bit bigger! :)

Currently, she is a bit too helpful though at times--especially in the area of taking off her wet/dirty diaper.  Even with many spankings, it is still a struggle to keep a diaper on Elizabeth during naptime.  The shorts must be very snug or even they will come off first in an effort to get the diaper off. 

Bizbeth loves her blankie! It calms her like not much else.  Unfortunately, she has gotten a bit confused this month with the advent of A's blanket and constantly steals it, believing it to be hers.  However, the minute her hands get on a blanket, in go the two fingers into her mouth and she sits calmly and takes in whatever is going on around her. 

My little E has a fascination with wearing shoes (and has even managed to keep them on once or twice all morning).  She particularly likes to wear my or D's shoes.  They often end up with the wrong shoe on the wrong foot and almost always with one shoe off and one shoe on (Diddle, Diddle Dumpling, My son John...)  She also has a fascination with bows and occasionally keeps them in her hair for a few minutes at a time now too.

Most definitely not a prissy girl, Elizabeth does not mind being dirty (quite a regular thing at mealtime) nor soaking wet.  In fact, she loves to play in the water (especially outside in our baby pools) and barely even seems to notice when D dumps bucket after bucket over her head.  (love the little curls that pop up with the moisture)  D and E do play far better with each other this month...

I love this little Bizbeth!  Strong and independent but a heart full of love and life!

the morningest person of them all

Little A (like D) is most definitely a morning person. I know that between 6 and 7 every morning she will wake up and fuss until she is allowed to sit up and enjoy the day. This all takes place no matter when her last feeding (often only an hour or an hour an a half before) or how often she gets up at night. While I too am a morning person, I admit to feeling quite exhausted at these hours because I have been up multiple times in the night with her and just don't feel up to playing. That all changes when I get a few of her sweet smiles!

Helpful?

D picked out a John Deere large excavator toy for his birthday.

D: my diggert is a big helper. He helped me clean up my room!

(should have gotten this for him long ago if it made cleaning up all the cars etc. fun!)


During breakfast yesterday, D noticed me struggling to feed E with one hand (the other hand was busy) as the bowl kept moving around the table every time I put my spoon in it. (this is my super sensitive child-at times) He placed his hands on the bowl in order to keep it steady. E began sobbing and throwing a fit. I tried to feed her even faster ( thought I was too slow) until I realized that she was scared that D was going to take her food. The sweet offer of help had to be denied.

I left A on the couch while I was getting dressed. I hear D come into our bedroom. "Mommy, I have the baby for you." I turn around and panic. D has A barely dangling from his arms. I caught myself, knowing that my response could prompt D to drop her suddenly. I quickly take the baby from him and severely explain that he is not to pick her up until she is bigger ("and me too!"-D).

My little spontaneous helper did bring in my things from the car without incident.

And the littlest helper? She managed to wake up her sister because A had dropped her pacifier while snoozing but, of course, baby sister must have need of it. Right?

On this day in history!

I had been asked on Monday if I was potty training Elizabeth.
"No."
"Have you considered it?"
"Not since I have a newborn." ( and in fact when pondering this over: was waiting till E could walk comfortably-only about 3 1/2 months ago. Then seemed silly since baby was due two months later.)
Apparently, the nursery workers had been checking her diaper all morning to just find it dry every time. When she did finally go to the bathroom, she lay down on the floor, asking to be changed.
I too had noticed signs of readiness (think taking off the wet and dirty diapers every nap and bedtime are any indication?) but was not sure I was ready. That conversation got me to wondering though.

So today, I decided to put Elizabeth on the potty before nap. (the only other time I tried this, she just clung to me in fear) This time, she sat down calmly. I told her to go peepee. She looked at me. She looked down and proceeded to go pee in the potty!

I won't drive myself crazy to get her out of diapers at this point, but WOW! I may not have to.

UPDATE: Despite trying potty time 3-4 more times in the next 24 hours, E did not cooperate.  We'll see...

Happy Birthday, Boy Boy!

David,

You are 4 years old today!  What a celebration!  I still remember the complete exuberance when we found out we were pregnant with you...after years of praying for you!  And the joy of holding you, our firstborn son, right after you were born.  We have had some seasons of challenges since then, but even throughout these times, I treasure my special bond with you, my precious boy boy (aka "big boy"--one of the last remnants of babyhood). 

This year has brought about so many changes.  The last vestiges of babyhood are slipping away (although you do still cling to your thumb and your blankie).  It has been a season of change as you adjusted to having not only one but now two little sisters.  You still occasionally pick at Elizabeth, but you are learning to take on the role of big brother/protector.  You readily help Elizabeth in "the direction she should go" (sometimes to the car, sometimes with her cup, sometimes just encouraging her to eat her dinner).  You are also quick to help Abigail when she needs help.

You certainly have started putting some of life's pieces together.  Perhaps all the "why" questions have helped after all?  You now know most of your colors, a few shapes, can mentally count items to three (although the numerical counting aloud is a bit off still), are interested in the alphabet, know your name starts with D (and can recognize that letter), and just generally understand far more commands and explanations. 

Your favorite toys are so varied now.  You are fascinated with all weapons (such a boy!) and while you still play with your golf clubs occasionally, they often get taken apart to become swords.  You love all guns too!  Items that often slip into your pockets and get taken to church on the sly?  Water guns, bouncy balls, matchbox cars.  You do still play with your trains, but are more partial to your cars most of the time.  I often find you upstairs reading at the end of naptime.  You love me to read to you and your attention span is SOOOO much longer now!  We read together almost every naptime and bedtime and you will "read to yourself" in the in between. You also love playing video games (on the iphone) with Daddy. 

You love to dress yourself now (often picking the worst outfits, but...)  You wear almost all 5T shirts and have even caught up to your size in many pants and can wear 4T now.  You are still wearing the same shoes though that you have been wearing for months: size 10.  (you can put on your own tennies now, at long last!)

Pretty much potty trained (with very rare accidents) during the day but still not at night (or the occasional very long nap).  That will be this year's accomplishment.

The picky eater is gone and in his place is a little boy willing to try almost anything.  You still are not a huge fan of some things but just like a favorite book (Green Eggs and Ham), you have learned that you have to be willing to try something before declaring you don't like it.  Peanut butter and jelly is still probably the all-time favorite.

I so love your cheerfulness and love of life!  You are full of happiness and enthusiasm, warmth and welcome to others.  I admire your tender heart--often prompting you to think of others, even before yourself at times.  May you keep that sweet, tender heart especially before the Lord.  May your childlike prayers grow into full-fledged dependence on the Lord.  Even as you have prayed many times, may you learn to obey completely; obedience that is prompted by a wholehearted devotion to the Lord.  Better put, as stated in a favorite song: Trust and Obey. 

What joy fills my heart when I think of you. 

Philippians 1:3,6 "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you...Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"

All our love,
Mommy and Daddy