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!!!

Of baby girl cuteness

Connor and I call her ViVi, Ben calls her Lettie, my sister calls her Miss V, Elinor calls her Our Baby, Sophie calls her ViVi Chicken Pie. But we all agree she is adorable.

Here's to seven months with our little Miss Violet. 

Discipline

About a week or so ago I noticed that my children were complaining a lot whenever I would shut off the television and tell them to play.

Lots of complaining. Complaining that involved one of my least favorite phrases: "that's not fair!"

Fair?

Not watching TV isn't fair?

I knew I had to do something, so I did.

I talked to Ben and said "we need to do something."

He suggested we get rid of the television all together.

I said he was crazy. I'm not one of those moms. Those moms that don't have a television and their kids are awesome and super smart well adjusted kids. I use the television for things like distracting my children so I can go take a shower in the morning or keeping them quiet while I'm trying to keep a baby asleep. There may be a day when I'm ready to take the big old mom plunge into no television awesomeness, but not yet.

So I made an alternative suggestion. How about if we cut way back on TV time. I mean way back. And I added this rule: all homework must be done, their bedroom must be clean, and toys must be picked up before we have any TV time at night.

I guess that maybe more like three rules.

And I made a similar rule for Ben and I too. All laundry had to be done and put away, all dishes had to be clean or in the dishwasher, and we had to have accomplished some other cleaning goal.

Again, maybe that is more like three rules...or five.

The point was that we were going to get more things done and watch less TV.

And it's working. The kids haven't been complaining (much) and we've been getting more done. They even cleaned their room today without protest. They just did it.

I'm always amazed that when I mean mom it up and provide some structure and discipline to the way we spend our time that the kids usually respond well.

Moms know this. I know this. But it has been rough to get myself to that place after the year we've had. But were getting there.

Now to focus on staying there.

Sophie can read. Well, kind-of.

Sophia has discovered that she can read. Here are some of today's examples of her "reading."

The empty pretzel bag: "Mom! This pretzel bag says when it is empty moms have to go to the store and buy more pretzels. Yep. That's what it says on the wrapper."

My bottle of water when I told her I wouldn't share it: "But Mom, it says right here that this is FAMILY water so you have to share it with your family."

My ice cream free grocery list: "Oh thanks Mom. Thanks for putting ice cream on the list. That was really nice of you."

As strange as this may sound, I kind of have to respect her read what you want something to say stance. If nothing else, it is a very polite way to try to get what you want.