Growing up

Violet is growing up. Fast. She is sitting up, eating cereal, saying "Dada" like a champ, waving, and army crawling her way to just about anything she wants.

I don't know why I am always surprised by how quickly my babies change and grow. But I am. It feels like I brought her home from the hospital weeks ago, but nine months have gone by. I love that they grow up. It's weird, I know. All the other moms I know lament the ending of the baby stage. They don't want them to grow up. To change. To become self sufficient. To leave someday.

I do. It's not that I don't love them, or want them to leave right now, but I do want them to be able to leave me someday. I want things for them. Love, marriage, children. I know that they will have to be kicked in the teeth a few times on this journey, and I'll hate watching it. I'll hurt for them, cry with them, tell them it is going to be okay. And, I'll assure them that this world of suffering and pain isn't their true home, that heaven is.  

It seems like this is my most important job as a parent. To prepare them for their lives. To prepare them to leave someday. To prepare them to teach their own children the faith. To prepare them to do so in a world that is becoming more and more hostile to anyone that doesn't buy into to the any thing goes worldview. 

Because my life is slowly becoming about more.

I have four kids at home. It takes up a lot of my time. But not all of it. 

In fact, now that my youngest is 9 months old, I even have some nights where I sleep through the night. Most night I only have to wake up once. 

Things are by no means easy, but they are getting easier than they have been in the past. 

So I changed my blog. I want to focus more on food, even some theological stuff, and my family. 

Hence the name change and even the web address change. 

Dear Ariel, Dear Ursula, and Dear Alligator in the Under the Sea chorus:

To the girl that played Ariel in Atchison High School's production of Little Mermaid this weekend:

Thank you. Thank you for catching my four year old daughter as she hurled herself into your arms after the show. You see, she thinks you really are a princess. In fact, when you came on stage for the first time she gasped and declared "she is the most beautiful princess I've ever seen."

Thank you for hugging her back and being super sweet to her. You made her entire day.

To the girl that played Ursula:

Thank you. Thank you for letting my daughter touch your costume and for laughing when she proceeded to run away from you pretending to be terrified by you. Her favorite part of the whole play was when she single handily used her light up sea urchin to stop you from taking over the ocean. Or...at least that is how her version goes.

To the handsome little boy playing an alligator in the sea chorus:

You...you were my absolute favorite. Sure the girl that played Ariel had a great voice, and that boy that played Scuttle was hilarious...but I think you were the best. I liked you so much that I'm pretty sure I will come to any shows you are in from now on.

Sophie Jane wakes you up with a smile.

Last night was Ash Wednesday service. It was a wonderful and beautiful service, ashes were imposed, communion was received, and in my completely unbiased opinion - the handsome associate pastor gave a great sermon. Wonderful, but long. We didn't get home until 9:00 last night.

The plus side of all of the late going to bed is our alarm is what woke us up this morning - not a child - an alarm. This never happens in our house. Well...almost never happens.

As Ben and I were laying there enjoying the rare moment of solitude in the morning we heard the unmistakable pitter patter of little feet and we immediately knew whose little feet they were.

I called out "Good morning Sophie Jane!" and as she came into our room,"Come here big girl!"

She headed to our bed and then stopped in her track, shouted "Bathroom!," and ran out of our room. A few minutes later she reappeared and instructed us to look towards the window as she pulled our curtain aside and sang "IT'S MORNING TIME!!!!" in her happiest little voice.

Then there were smiles and snuggles. We sang happy birthday to her as she kept trying to cover our mouths and told us repeatedly through her giggles that we couldn't sing it until it was cake time.

This is what makes Sophie Jane so great. She, for the most part, is the happiest girl. She greets each day full of energy and with a smile. She loves everything about everyone.

She gives me roughly a million hugs every day and thinks personal space must mean that you own part of the solar system. It can't possibly mean that you don't want to be held all day long.

She tells jokes like "knock, knock" "who's there?" "chicken eating sandwiches" and then collapses into a pile of giggly girlness on the floor.

She hates socks and having to share the camera with her little sister.

She loves dresses, wants to wear makeup, and her greatest ambition in life is to be a mother some day.

I love her.

Happy 4th Birthday Sophia!!!