First Time with Play Doh

I was reading through old blog entries and noticed that around this age, Ian had his first experience with Play-Doh.

Zoe has actually been hinting at this for some time. She has suggested this subtly by taking the Play-Doh bag off the shelf every time she passes it and asking for it to be opened. Yesterday, I finally did...

When presented with the green globs, Zoe investigated in her normal manner. First, a tentative index finger hovered over the new substance. Poke, poke, poke. With her face in earnest concentration, she held her finger inches from it, as if waiting for it to jump up and attack her. Poke, poke, poke. Glancing over at Ian, it lost its dangerous edge. With a tiny bit of green on her fingertip, she raised it to her mouth...



Spitting it out with disgust, her eyes slowly lifted to mine. This wordless exchange did not leave me wondering what she was thinking. It was a rather loud message, "Mom, why would you give me such nasty, strange food!?"

Considering I did put her in the high chair for this experience, I guess it was the biggest set up I could manage! I picked up a chunk and started manipulating it into little balls of various sizes. I squeezed it tightly and smiled as she reached over at the pieces again. "It's fun, Zoe! I know it's not food, but it is sure fun for playing!" Skeptically, she eyed my crazy antics. Meanwhile, Ian was busily attempting to roll out lumps and make cookie cutter sharks.

I'm so thankful for Ian's influence! Often it appears that Zoe trusts him more than me!



Gradually, a smile appeared on her face as she discovered it was not a strange food, but a wonderful plaything. She seemed to enjoy pressing little shapes into the soft substance most of all.



I can't help myself either, working with clay (or Play-Doh!) always brings to mind "Margie's song," (The Potter's Hand).

Take me, Mould me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand
Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter's hand

-Darlene Zschech

It's so clear that Ian and Zoe were each lovingly created a beautiful masterpiece of individuality! Watching how their unique and remarkable spirits react to the world is truly a miraculous journey. I'm so blessed that joining in with Zoe, I was able to experience yet another first time with Play-Doh!

As the Baby Monitor Blinks

Maybe I should start writing the script of funny things overheard on the baby monitor. I never thought those little gadgets would provide amusement, as they were intended for safety. Here's some of the latest episodes of "As the Baby Monitor Blinks."

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An argument overheard in the morning:

Z: "Dada!"

I: " No! MOMMA!"

Z: "DADA!"

I: "NO! ZOE! MOMMA!!!!!!!"

Z: "Dada, dada, dada, dada."

I: Laughing. "No, Zoe, it's mom-ma. Moooom--ma."

Z: "Dada." Laughing again.

What I can't capture in writing is the intonations of their argument. I'm happy that at least they can laugh about their disagreement.

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Random phrases from bedtime:

"Mooommmmy. I'm not going to sleeeeeeeeep. Lalalalalalalala."

"Zoe, we're not going to sleep, ok? ZOE! I said we're NOT going to sleep! Sit up! Oh no...you're going to sleep!"

"Get your finger out of your mouth! Zoe! Don't eat your finger off!"

"I'm awake. I'm awake. I'm awaaaaake!" (Screaming at the top of his lungs).

"Wow, that's fanTASTIC. I just had an idea!"

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My morning wake up call:

"I know you hear me! MOOOOOOOM! Get in here! NOW! Mom, mom, mom! UGH! DAAAAAAAAAADY!"

"Time to get up and have some fun today!"

"Oh no where's my...where is it...I don't know what it is!"

"That was a good sleep."

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Finally, a not so amusing episode last night:

"Mooooomy....Daaaaaaaddy! I pooped in my underwear!! I did! I pooped in my underwear!"

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Be sure to tune back in during one of our regularly scheduled programs!

Parenting Test: Choosing the "Right" Answers

As parents, we always have lots of choices to make in a day. Sometimes, I find myself thinking of all the options (even the ones that really aren't options at all) in an effort to pass what feels like some kind of elaborate test.

Yes, I just compared being a parent to taking a test! I know someone out there can relate! But, it's not always obvious you chose the right answer when your child continues to tantrum, or make bad choices themselves. (Choosing the right answer sometimes lands you with a less-than-desirable reward!).

But, as the Bible instructs parents, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6). I feel like one point this verse reinforces is the fact that sometimes it's not until much later in life that our parent's influences and teachings come full circle. So, you don't always get an immediate reward for "good" parenting...that's one aspect that makes it challenging!

Anyway, today really felt like a testing day. No summer vacation from parental school, you know. It really began last night, as Ian had a slight fever. In the morning I was faced with my first question of the day.

What do you do when your child stays up all night long, runs a slight fever, but has no other symptoms?

A) Ignore it. (Who says doing nothing isn't an option!?).

B) Freak out and call the doctor. (Hahaha! Good one!).

C) Go back to bed. (Wow! This test is funny!).

D) Cancel the day's activities and stay home as a precaution. (Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!).

So let's hear what I won!

I won a peaceful morning watching Ian recover from his ailment!

I felt good about my choice as I was watching Ian laze about on the bed, requesting a bottle of all things. It was very obvious he needed peace and quiet to recover.

Then, enter the time known as...too late to have a snack, too early to have dinner, and just the right time to act like a crazy child!! Dun, dun, dunnnnnnnn!

Zoe began running around screaming. Not happy screaming, but I-want-everything-I can't-have screaming. Finally, she popped her thumb in her mouth and decided it wasn't working to get what she wanted. About this time, Ian had been gradually working himself into a frenzy over his toys. He was frustrated they wouldn't do exactly what he wanted them to do. Every other piece of laundry I was folding, I would stop and work through his impatience with him.

Changing from a silent vigil, Zoe found a new way to get attention. She picked toys up from the ground and proceeded to beat Ian over the head every 3rd piece of laundry. Now, I am a very patient person, but this little routine didn't take very long to reach my last nerve. Oh wonderful, another question on the test!

Your baby is trying to beat her older brother senseless. What do you do?

A) Ignore it. (This is always an option!).

B) Make a huge, big deal out of it! (Haha! Oh yeah, this one works well...).

C) Put her in time out. (We haven't had much success with this one either!).

D) Remove her from the situation and demonstrate kind touches. (Ding! Ding! Ding!)

Let's see what I've won this time!

A ticket to a repeat performance?! What!?

I pulled Zoe into the bedroom and said, "Do NOT hit your brother. We touch our brother NICELY. Gentle touches, ok? Like this. Nice, nice." Zoe looked intently into my eyes and said, "Uh-uh (no). Ouch!" If you were thinking she might have been agreeing with me, and this was the equivalent of, "No hitting, it hurts," you are gravely mistaken. She walked directly to the living room, picked up a BIGGER toy and rapped Ian over the head, looking my direction. "Ouch!" she said, dropped the toy and ran away.

Now, Ian crumpled to the floor holding his head screaming. (Good thing for him, the toy wasn't even a hard toy. Ian is very sensitive to people's intents).

When he was calm, the toy he was playing with became a beyond-frustrating and emotionally traumatic event. Oh dear, another question so soon?

Your child seems incapable of playing with this toy at this moment. What do you do?

A) Ignore it. (You knew this was coming!)

B) Fast-forward time. (Sometimes, questions have really obvious wrong answers!).

C) Work through frustrations with him. (This answer was the wrong one five minutes ago).

D) Remove the problem. (Ding! Ding! Ding!)

What did I win this time?! Can't wait! This one is going to be great!

I won TWO meltdowns! Oh no!!

Of course, I couldn't remove the child...so there goes the toy. I lifted it up and carried it into the storage room, dragging a meltdown with me. Wait, make that two meltdowns. Zoe likes to be JUST LIKE her brother, remember? He tripped over another toy and fell, walked into the wall, and in a final outburst of drama, hit the door jam of the storage room with a resounding THUD. Zoe gingerly lowered herself to the floor and started fake-screaming.

Of course, as I write this, I'm nearly dying laughing inside. It's amazingly funny. But, remember, I was on my last nerve at this moment!

And this test is feeling more like a speed drill!

What do you do when your kids are beyond consolable and can't play with you or by themselves, and you're close to a meltdown yourself?

A) Ignore it. (Sigh! This test is annoying!)

B) Scream back and throw myself on the floor. (Does "time out" come next? I could go for this!)

C) Kick them out. (Who says you need to wait 18 years? Well, the state of South Carolina for one...).

D) Squirt them with water. (Children are like puppies, right? I might be on to something here...the light bulb is flickering).

E) Both C & D. (Ding! Ding! Ding?).

So, as I heave a sigh, I hope this time I won something good...it seemed too good to be true.

I did! Jackpot! I won an amazingly fun time outside with my two wonderful children!

Becoming exasperated and thinking a crazy thought led to a wonderful idea. (Don't judge me for thinking these things, I love my children to pieces, and would NEVER EVER hurt them! Some of my "thinking" has been exaggerated for humor!). I scooped them up, we all put on our swimsuits, and had a blast with the hose. It's oddly therapeutic to spray your children with a garden hose!





I know tests aren't exactly the most fun, but sometimes choosing the right answers gets you something even better than a gold star. :)

Ianish

Ian is constantly talking and inventively using language. He's definitely a talkative little guy, and cracks us up with not only his inquisitive nature and sense of humor, but his coined phrases. Here's some of his current verbal antics.

*Our current favorite twist is when he is not interested in doing something. "I can't want to!" and "Zoe can't want to!" We correct him to say, "I don't want to," but he puts repeated emphasis on "can't." I love how he tries to make his point!

*At the restaurant, he asked us, "Where did the cooker lady go?" I think it's great he used a known action to label someone. So smart!

*He insists on wearing his sunglasses upside-down. It really is fine with me, for all I know he's setting a new trend, but he makes a point to tell me that my glasses are, "Upside over."

*I have to roll my eyes at this one, but Matt has taught Ian a Marine Corps cadence. "What's that runnin' down your back? (Response) Juicy, juicy!" Ian chooses to repeat both sides himself at the most interesting moments, "Running down my back? Juicy, juicy."

*Very much the gentleman, he will let Zoe & I know how we look, "Oooh. You're pretty, Mommy. I like-a you dress," or "Zoe, pretty, pretty today." Then the exaggerated face, when he can't even help but laugh at himself, "Sooooooo cuuuuuuute!"

*Of course, I'm so proud when he informs us, "Daddy, you not funny." But it's certainly hard to hold back the chuckles when he says, "Don't laugh! I'm not funny, Mommy. I'm not funny, Daddy!"

*Very singular in purpose at times, Ian understands the concept of love in a unique way. We're only able to love one person at a time. Consider the following discussion:

(M)ommy: "I love you Ian."
(I)an: "I love you too, Mommy."
M: "I love you, Zoe."
I: "No, you love ME."
M: "I love BOTH of you, at the same time."
I:"I love Daddy."
M: "Right! Just like you love Daddy AND me!"
I: "No, just Daddy."
M: "Well, you can love Daddy and Mommy at the same time. We can love as many people as we want to give love to."
I: "Ok, I love you, Mommy."
M: "I love you too, Ian. And, I love Daddy and Zoe too."
I: "No, just Zoe! And, I love Daddy, not you."

I won't bore you with the rest of the conversation, but Ian insisted that I only could choose one person to love at a time. Then, the following day, he listed all of us, and said he loved ALL of us. His special emphasis on the word leads me to believe our conversation might have sunk in after a good night's sleep!

*I was hanging laundry on the line, and Matt was asking me about something from inside the house. We were sort of disagreeing in a very minor way. Ian was following the discussion as spectators might follow tennis, head going back and forth between us. Finally, he interrupted me mid-sentence, "Mom! Dad! Don't fight!" Oh yes, little ones are listening.

*When we spot another "A-rine" (Marine), Ian is careful to point out, "Look! There's one of Daddy's friends." I asked him how he knew they were friends. "A-rine!" Even the recruits are Matt's friends...hehehe.

*Ian is reading books to us, asking for, "My turn to read now," after we read it to him. I love his versions!

*If I hear the Wonder Pets theme song one more time...it seems almost unfortunate that with his developing verbal skills, he learns more and more of the lyrics!

Since Ian talks so much, this only scratches the surface, but I hope it gives a good idea of what Mr. Chatterbox is saying these days! :)

Baby Monitor Symphony

Tonight, the usual happy noises of the bedtime routine are continuing far past bedtime! Continuing the simile...it is wonderful music to my ears!

Ian and Zoe's laughter at the moment embodies the allegro performance! Zoe's nimble fingers play the percussion of toys falling to the floor with a crash. And oh, the strings imitating the "Flight of the Bumblebee" as Ian's feet fly across the bedroom floor to retrieve the toy. The room swells with joy as woodwinds and bass join in full harmonious exhiliration! Staccato notes punctuate bodies landing back in their beds once again. The beautiful melody of laughter rises and falls...

Then, Adagio....the noises shift to Zoe's dismal crying. This stirring movement relates the yearning of the heart for solace. The strings make a woeful plea for relief. Ian's light and airy woodwind calls out with hope and comfort:

"Oh no, Zoe, it's ok. Please don't cry. It's ok sweetheart. I'm going to help you, ok. Please don't cry. Oh dear. Can I help you? Look, I'm helping you Zoe. Don't cry."

Soft percussion of feet falling to the floor next to the crib...and pianissimo of Zoe's cries.

Enter the next movement of Allegro! Loud bass of Daddy's footfalls enter the room with a crescendo of the whole symphony in response. A minuet crosses the kitchen with the dance of preparing one last nightly drink of milk for these members. Crash of percussion, bodies returning to bed and flitting woodwinds of covers tossed back over their wriggling captives...A rousing finale with energy, passion, and love. Then, the jubilation and spiritedness of the night suddenly end, the last notes lingering on the listener's ears with pleasant ringing, and across their lips with a smile.

Now, the baby monitor symphony plays the song that in this late hour I treasure most...the deep, measured beats of sweet slumber. :)

Looks just like...

Besides the, "Where do they get their RED HAIR from?" question, when Matt and I are out together, someone always has to mention who the children look like.

So, I've been cleaning and sorting, and finding random baby pictures. One of these days, I'll get some of Matt's to compare. The pics are pretty much of me at the same age too! So, it's a really good comparison! :)



Everyone keeps commenting it looks like that photo is Ian with a wig on. I have to admit, there is a definite resemblance. He certainly would have hair like that if it grew out! That boy has some seriously thick hair!



I think it's easy to see my genes here too!

A lot of what you see depends on what you're looking for, but it sure is fun to compare! In the end, I know they look just like their own beautiful individual selves. It's such a privilege to watch them grow and change. :)

Abundant Harvest

All I can think as I glance over the garden that keeps growing is how blessed we truly are to have such a wonderful plot right outside our back door! (That and how amazing it is that this happened without me getting a speck of dirt on my hands whatsoever...have I mentioned I love my husband!).




I'm thankful that God has blessed our abundant harvest!

9 You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.

10 You drench its furrows
and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers
and bless its crops.

11 You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance. -Psalm 65:9-11

I look forward to even more crops from our garden. The sweet potato vines have gone crazy, and I hope that reflects what's going on underneath the ground. I laugh a little every time I think of Matt planting sweet potatoes. :)

Measured in Yards

There's a lot of fabric around here lately. Not only have I been repurposing scraps, but we are embarking on a new family journey of cloth!

We were already using cloth diapers (I love how the new trend is to call them "fluff") except for a couple of crazy months and outings. Now, we've returned to them almost exclusively (I'm sure there might be an exception to the rule at some point). You can attribute the switch back to finally getting caught up on everything, and back on track...I forgot how much Zoe loved them. She pats them proudly and doesn't try to pull them off like the disposables.



We're adding another cloth addition to diaper time...wipes. We'll see how this one goes, but since we're already washing dirty diapers, why not wipes?



Last week may have represented a fading routine as well...the purchase of paper towels. I admit, their usefulness is beyond words. We use paper towels for napkins, cleaning spills, drying hands/objects, and whole plethora of daily tasks. But...I feel so wasteful using a paper sheet only once and throwing it away! So, we're going to try an experiment. We're hiding the paper towels and using cloth napkins and washcloths.

Would you be surprised if I told you Matt's reaction to this was, "Sure! I'm all for that idea. Let's try it."



More cloth involved in a "School Room" transformation. The story behind these cabinets is one that began in Pensacola. Our kitchen there was completely lacking a pantry, so we purchased them for food storage. Next, they served as garage storage. At our current location (sans garage), they became a handy storage place for puzzles and games. Only...the doors broke somewhere on the journey for one of the shelves. I was content to have shelving instead of a cabinet, but had an idea! Ian was so excited with the project, he exclaimed, "Oh wow! Mommy, you made this for me! I like it a lot! It's perrrfect!"

Before: Messy shelf of puzzles and fun games.


After: Cute fabric + tension rod = hides the mess!



There will certainly be more updates with my latest projects...I'm definitely on a roll! Life around here is not only measured in minutes, but yards! :)

Living a Full Life!

Matt and I have had a lot of talks lately about getting back to basics and living a full life...this has resulted in many projects lately!

Our garden grows...and grows...we've been harvesting the rewards every day for the past few weeks. Here's the latest "pick."


A goal we've set is to make our own spaghetti sauce completely from home-grown ingredients. This led to talk about planting an even bigger garden next year and canning the overflow. Ok, ok, I admit, this is really all Matt's idea. I pledge to be more involved in the gardening next season! Here's the sauce that started it all...and it was every bit as delicious as it looks!


I've had some time to sew...here's a skirt I LOVE! (If you didn't already know this about me, I'm a sucker for lime green).


A little while back, I copied an idea from Greyhaired Momma for a birthday gift. I have missed making time for crafting. This project was so much fun!


Another inspiration came from Anna's latest project (denim cushions with too-cute piping for the living room). I had an old eggshell mattress topper (that ended up cut into strips) and some lonely twill fabric that ended up as a handy "beanless bag" for the living room. Zoe will get one next, as it's more popular than I originally envisioned.


In another effort to, "Go Green," I decided to repurpose some lonely terry cloth and old cloth diapers. (Do you notice a theme? I was re-organizing my fabric bins and discovering lonely fabric). This is a reusable "febreeze" floor pad. As convenient and wonderfully-smelling I admit the disposable versions are, I know it's just another paper product/expense laden with chemicals. So, if anyone has ideas for what to clean my not-wholly-sealed wood floor with these new pads, let me know!


Another repurposed project, a pillowcase dress. I have no idea where these pretty pillowcases came from, but they were in my fabric bin...and don't match any bedding we currently (or will ever) have. Not my taste for bedding, but it certainly made a cute dress! :)


Finally, I had a patriotic inspiration for Zoe. I am in love with this pattern, and you'll be sure to see more variations of it soon!


I guess that's about it for now. I look forward to sharing some of our other projects/inspirations. Life has been full of wonderful new turns and prioritizing lately. :)