Two isn't all bad.

I gave Sophia a hard time the other day for her general two-ness. I don't think that is a word, but I don't let a little thing like that stop me. 

It turns out that as hard as two can be, it isn't all bad. 

Also, there is nothing quite like a sleeping two year old to make your heart melt...and your neck to ache in sympathy. 

Ugh, I had forgotten about this.

I had a two year old about five years ago. I remember that it was terrible and awful, but I've spaced out a lot of the more grueling details. I think that may be because that two year old grew into a horrible three year old, and then an even more challenging four year old, and then slowly started to get better. By the time we got to five, two was just a distant memory and pain and suffering.

I have a two year old now and she has been acting her age for a while. It wasn't until today that I had that "oh yeah" moment. It happened at about 11:00 am when I realized that she had been actually either crying or whining since 6:30 am this morning.

You may think that I am exaggerating...I'm not. She had been literally crying or whining since she woke up. Never stopping, just continuing, never tiring, only annoying.

As rough as it has been and as much as I feel like it isn't getting better anytime soon, I still have this vague sense that Connor was so much worse.

I also look at my sweet little, precious, cuddly baby girl and think "you're going to do this to me too, aren't you?"

I guess that is one joy of having three kids right in a row. By the time Sophia is done being two, Elinor will be almost there. And, by the time Elinor has grown out of the terrible twos and into the tiresome threes, the baby will be ready to take over as resident tyrant.

Looks like I've signed up for at least another three or four more years of this fun. Bring it on kids. I can take it. And for revenge, I'll make sure that this picture makes it out on prom night.

No, no, no.

Elinor is almost 8 months old and very mobile these days. As such, the word no is becoming part of our regular vocabulary.

I'll give Elinor this much, every time I say "Elinor! No!" she stops what she is doing and looks at me.

However, she then blows me a kiss and goes back to whatever she was doing before anyway.

Parenting Fail.

Pilgrim Time

Connor's 1st grade class had a pilgrim play. He was pretty impressed with his role as the pastor.

Here are some video highlights.

And a song. I kind of love his very loud singing voice.

Six Big Changes

I was looking at a picture of our family from a year ago and from Thanksgiving weekend.

Check out the differences.

First - can I just brag on my husband for a minute? Do you see that he is like half the size he was a year ago?  I'm very impressed when he gets up every morning at 6 am to go work out at the YMCA. I'm not so supportive that I get up and go with him or wake up more than the amount required to say goodbye - but I'm impressed and so very proud of him.

Second - do you see how much Connor has grown over the past year? He used to come to Ben's waist and now he is up in elbow territory. He also just looks so much older now than he did a year ago. I didn't expect him to start looking so much like a kid so fast.

Third - a year ago Sophia looked confused in her picture. Now she just looks mischievous  There's a good reason for that...she is.

Fourth - isn't Elinor a cute butterball of a baby? I think so. She is quite possibly the sweetest and most even tempered baby in the world. (I'll bet a year from now that I will be much less complimentary of her demeanor).

Fifth - Note to self. Don't wear green stripes when you are going to get your picture taken...or, you know, ever.

Sixth - We are going to have our own little firecracker this July. We are due to have another little Ockree on July 2nd, 4th, or 7th (depending on how big little one has measured in the various sonograms I've had).

What this means for our family?

1. We are going to need a bigger car. Five is the most we can safely shove into a sedan. 
2. Dr. Wheeler is going to have to temporarily move his practice to Topeka, Kansas. (I'm sure he won't mind).
3. That 10th anniversary trip Ben and I were planning is going to be replaced with an even more expensive trip to St. Francis hospital.
4. I'll be joining the girls for afternoon nap time. 
5. I'm going to need to make more friends. Preferably the type that like to hold babies in church so that I don't have to sit by myself with a 7 year old, 3 year old, 1 year old, and 1 month old. 
6. I'm not getting away from diapers any time soon. 
7. Life is about to get a little bit rougher and a whole lot more awesome. 

Of Road Trips and Love Letters

Yesterday Ben and I took some of the high school kids to Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. It was a great trip and I am pretty much sold on the Concordia college system for the following reasons.

1. The students are required to live in the dorms for three years, or until they are 21. 
2. The students are required to live in the dorms for three years, or until they are 21!
3. Please see either #1 or #2. 

I already informed Connor, Sophia, and Elinor that they would be attending a Concordia College, so they better keep those grades up. We're going to need some scholarships. 

We wanted to leave for Seward first things Friday morning, so I asked my Mom if she would watch the kids for us Thursday night and all day Friday. She, being the awesome Grandma that she is, of course said yes. 

After picking up the kids last night I could tell that they actually missed me. They all had different ways of expressing their love for me and happiness for being back in my company. 

Sophia proceeded to tell me everything that had happened all day. The conversation went something like this: "So Mom, we had Grandma and played and then Connor took my french fry, but I didn't want to eat it all, and at lunch there were kids, and I had nap, but I a princess so I wished on star for castle, and that because I princess, and Connor, and kids." 

Connor showed me that I was missed and loved by telling me about every wild brilliant plan he had come up with during the day. My favorite was a plan to train and release into the wild orphaned squirrels whose parents had been run over. 

Elinor showed me she loved me by waking up at 11:00 and refusing to go back to sleep until she had been held and had been able to hug and kiss me for about half an hour. Then she needed some time with her dad as well and started to shout "Dada" until he woke up to giver her some snuggles.

It's nice to be loved. Even at 11:00 at night, and especially by my monsters. 

An Instagram Catchup for my Mom

My mom isn't on Facebook and doesn't have an Instagram account either. As such, every now and then I want to share the pictures she has been missing. 

So Mom, these photos are for you. 

 Sophia sporting her new hairdo. 

 Sophia in full on princess mode. 

 This is what happens if I chase Sophia for 30 minutes.

 Elinor wants to be a gymnast when she grows up. 

Connor's do it yourself robot costume. 

Sweet baby snuggles.