in his words

Today we had popcorn for lunch. It was just kinda one of those lazy days. Plus I desperately need to go grocery shopping. Jack was sitting on the counter watching it pop and I was asking him questions. I loved his answers!



Who is your favorite friend? Katie. And Tanner and Ethan

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy? Play cars

...color? Blue and green .... and orange and white

...place to go? to Wal-Mart

...food? chicken nuggets and pizza

...snack? pretzels and string cheese

...shirt? My football shirt (pictured above)

...sport? Soccer

...song? Annie Waits & Science is Real

...book? Froggy

What do you want to be when you grow up? A missionary ... and a race car driver for Halloween

Love that little boy!

minivan mom

Do I look the part?



I feel too young for all this. Pulling into the school parking lot with a minivan, I feel like a fake. I'm not really mature enough for this role.

But seriously, I am in love with my minivan. Dave's parents drove this baby out to us last month. It's a 2008 Chevy Uplander. I always thought I'd want a Suburban (still do, I guess) but I am loving the minivan all the same. The sliding doors are probably my favorite feature. Easy access!! So convenient!! So roomy!! The kids don't accidentally hit the car next to us with the door when they climb out of the car!! Plus we get better gas mileage than a Suburban and not that much worse than our car.

Here is the full view.



Seriously, it's cool. Minivans are cool. ...Right?...

mama's boy (or boy's mama)

The other day Jack and I were in Wal-Mart. (Katie was there too of course, but she was sleeping in the cart). We were there to pick up a few things like pull-ups and dish soap and cereal. Jack picked up a box of crackers and asked if we could buy them. "Sure!" I said and threw them in the cart. A while later he found some different crackers and wanted them too. "Sure!" I said and he carried them around. Then he found a box of Apple Jacks and said "Mommy can we buy this kind of cereal. If you do it will make me happy!" And I said, "okay, buddy" and threw them in cart too. It all seemed innocent enough. Until Dave got home from school later that night.

He started eating some of the crackers and I told him not to eat them all because Jack really wanted them at the store. And then he pulled out another box of crackers and I said, "Jack picked those out too." And then later that night we were eating Apple Jacks for our midnight snack and I said, "we have to be sure so save some for Jack..." and then we started laughing and I realized what I did. I let that little boy walk all over me.

With Ana in school and Katie still in the new baby sleep mode, Jack and I are getting lots of one on one time. He's so sweet and easy going (most of the time) and so easy to please, I can't help wanting to give him what he wants. It is so stinking hard for me to say "no" to that boy. (I do it occasionally though, like when he wants another Capri Sun that are for Ana's lunches.) Plus he is very determined to get his way and he asks over and over without being too whiny.

("Look, Mom, I drew a squirt gun!")

But all spoiling aside, we've been having a lot of fun together. He likes to help me with the dishes and fold all the clean wash clothes. He would play "cars" with me all day long and he loves to color. He likes to watch a couple episodes of "Wonder Pets" each day, but after 2 or 3 he's done and comes to find me. He doesn't hang on me or whine at me though. He just talks to me and plays with toys (usually cars). He'll do anything for a sucker. He leaves Katie pretty much alone except for the occasional "Hi, pretty girl. Hi! Katie Koo" and he is very diligent about fetching diapers and wipes when I need one. We sing songs and play outside and go to Price Chopper. He talks pretty much non-stop and even when he's watching TV he's usually wiggling or climbing on the back of the couch. (What my mom calls the "mouth-and-motion" typical of boys.)



And he's got me in the palm of his hand.

something i've been thinking about

Every once in a while, when I'm standing or sitting on something that makes me the same height as Dave is, (6'5"), I take a look around. I remember the first time I did that and realized, "Whoa, this is how my husband sees the world." Everything looks different from up there. Everything looks tiny.

I thought about that this week after I spent an hour (or more) talking to my sister, recounting our childhood. You'd never know that we spent time in the same house. Such different perspectives of the same thing. And I realized that I am either:

a) blissfully unaware of what is going on around me

or

b) too self absorbed to notice.

Maybe a little of both. I mean, I've had it easy. I've always had good friends. I'm married to an amazing man. I haven't experienced tragedy or great trials. I have 3 healthy, happy children. Life is good. I am happy.

But I imagine God doesn't want me to sit around thinking "all is well." I imagine he wants me to look around and find others to serve. That's hard to do when I am only concerned with what my world looks like. Sometimes it takes trying to see things from another's perspective. Perhaps something that is tiny to me looks a lot bigger to another person.

God has given me so much."Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required." Often he requires we pass through trials. And sometimes he requires us to help others pass through theirs.

I don't really know where I'm going with this. I don't really know where to start. But I've been thinking about it. Things look different from here.

at 6:00 a.m.

The early morning light was spreading over the sky through the window. Her eyes were wide open. I sat smiling and talking to my baby. She smiled back. And I thought:

sisters

When Ana and Katie are left in the same room, I never know what I'm going to find when I return. I can almost guarantee Katie will not be where I left her. The funny thing is, Ana doesn't necessarily want to hold her sister, she just wants to carry her around and sit next to her. Yesterday I left Katie in the swing and when I returned:



Luckily Katie doesn't seem to mind too much.

montreal

On Saturday our little family took a much needed mini-trip up to Montreal. We've been wanting to go since we moved but I didn't have a passport, then it was too cold and snowy, then we were too busy, than I was too pregnant, then we didn't have Katie's birth certificate. Finally the planets aligned and we headed north. We had fun, even though there was some annual festival going on and also a bike race of some sort and a bunch of construction so traffic was AWFUL! But we got to eat at a yummy little burger joint, go up to the Mont Royale and see the view of the city, and then go down to "Old Montreal" and walk around for a while. We'd like to go again when we have more time in Old Montreal. It was nice to have some time away with just our family. I love us!

changing seasons

This morning I put on socks.

I'm usually a barefoot girl. Outside, inside, and anywhere else that it is socially acceptable. I haven't worn socks for months.

But this morning my feet were cold on our hard wood floors and so I slipped them into a pair of socks and succumbed to the inevitable: summer is over.

It was sooo short. Dave was busy all June, we packed as much as we could into the first few weeks of July, and then it was time to get ready for Katie to come. She came and we've had visits from family and lots of relaxing at home. Now the weather is turning cooler. Tips of trees are beginning to change. School is in full swing.

I am aching to cling to summer. I'm not ready for the cooler weather and the impending, long winter. I'm feeling a little nostalgic over it all. August changed my life. I feel as though I went from "playing house" to a real adult all in a few weeks. It's not just the changing of the seasons outside, but a changing of a season in my life as well.

Three children. A school-girl. A mini-van.

The house is quiet. The sky is overcast. And I am a grown-up. Weird.


***Happy 30th Birthday to my sister Karianne. When did we get so old?? ;) ***

blessing day

Dave gave Katie a beautiful blessing today at church. It was perfect! I am so grateful for this little angel we have in our home. I feel closer to heaven having such a new spirit in our house. I feel happier when I am holding her than doing anything else.

We love our little Katie Grace!

pre-school activities

The week leading up to Ana starting Kindergarten was a busy one. For one thing...


Grandma and Grandpa came!!! Hooray! We had a wonderful time with them. We mostly just hung around the house, partly due to the weather, and partly due to the fact that Dave was studying his brains out for a test all day last Friday and Saturday.

(Grandma played a lot of cars...)

Monday we went to the Champlain Valley Fair with them. We walked around mostly, but Ana got to ride the Ferris Wheel with Dave and both kids got to go on the Carousel, which was fun. And of course, we watched the pig racing. Yes, they race pigs at the fair. They even choose someone for the audience to cheer for each pig. Last year they picked Ana. And she won! (And I didn't even blog about it, I realized.) They picked Ana again this year, but we didn't win.

Last year's pig racing prize.

(Ana on the Ferris Wheel with Dave.)

Tuesday night we had a special back-to-school-night in the house. We ate a "fancy" dinner - we used a tablecloth, matching silverware and lit candles - of Ana's favorite noodles and spinach salad. Then we did a back-to-school fashion show...





Jack didn't want to be left out either. ...


We finished the night with a special back-to-school blessing from Dad. It was awesome!


Wednesday was the first official day of school, but for kindergarteners, that meant that Mom brings you for an hour, you get to see your classroom, find your cubby, eat a snack, and meet some classmates. Ana was so excited.

(With her new teacher, in front of her cubby)

Thursday, about an hour after Ana left for school, Grandma and Grandpa left too. We will miss them so much and are so glad they got to come!

Now it is down to just our little family, and time to get into a good routine. August was a busy month!

return and report

How was your first day? "Good."
Do you like your teacher? "Yes."
What was your favorite part? "We went outside for recess 3 times."
What did you do first thing? "We talked about all the stuff we'll do every day."


Other tidbits:
"Tomorrow can I have a hot lunch because all the other kids did and I felt kinda left out."

"I didn't really learn anything. ... Wait, I learned that you shouldn't jump off the slide because people can get hurt."

She seemed to have a good day. Boy was she tired!