A New Discovery

It's Wednesday Night and DADDY'S HOME!

I love this time of year, all Dave's youth groups are starting to end and his nights are starting to free up. Wednesday night is high school youth group night-- the ministry that definitely takes the most time. Last week he held his end of the year party, so tonight he was all ours! We celebrated by going out for dinner and then having some super fun family time at home. Enjoy the pics of our happy-to-have-Daddy-home girls...

(Ella took this one, isn't it hilarious?)

A New Do for a Big Girl!

Tonight was a major milestone for Ella: her first hair cut! She's been growing those long, curly locks of hers for 3 years now. Since it took her so long to even get hair, I never considered cutting it until recently. Every morning we battle tangles and force patience as Ella sits for braids, pig tails, pony tail, etc. Her long curls turned a bit straggly a while ago, so pulling it back is a must, even though my work usually falls out halfway through the day. With her impending 3rd birthday and enrollment in preschool, I decided to let go of my sentimentality about her hair and let her get a big girl style. We went to Becky, a super-nice lady who cuts my hair from her home. We've been describing every detail of this experience to Ella to prevent fear and for days she's been playing beauty salon on dolls and Daddy.

A hair cut for Daddy and a last time to wear braids for Ella.

Goodbye long hair!

Ella was great about sitting still in the chair, looking where she was supposed to and chatting with Becky like a real customer!

Just finished! Now it's time for Mommy (hey, as long as I was there, thought I'd get a quick trim too!). Ella, smarty pants that she is, jumped right in to hold my hand and tell me where to look and what to do.

Modeling the new hairdo and anticipating the ice cream we went to get as a family to celebrate!

Friends and Fountains

It has cooled down significantly, so today we enjoyed a breezy morning at the "mountain park" (yep, one year later and Ella still mispronounces "fountain"). We met Amy and Jonathan and had the place practically to ourselves. I even felt okay about letting Delia crawl around and explore the shooting spouts. I love this crinkle nose, smile/laugh of hers!

A great treat was that after running through the spray and climbing the "noodle" at the park, we had a little picnic lunch at Sonic Drive In. I've never been to one before and enjoyed the many thrills this brought Ella: pressing the button for service, feeding tator tots to the birds and drinking chocolate milk with her kid's meal. Friends, fun fountain parks, fantastic weather...while I was not so fond of it last week, a morning like today's has me lovin' my California home once again.

Mmmm...Mango!

New Niece or Nephew?

Many of you know that Dave's sister, Kristen, and her husband, Eric, are right in the middle of the adoption process. Through their experience, we're all learning quite a bit about home visits, personal profiles and the gazillion ridiculous hoops adoptive parents need to jump through (vaccination records for their dog, for example!). But, mostly we're learning about trusting God's plan.

Late last week a major development occurred. A birth mother was found who could be a perfect match for Kris and Eric. Specifically, she wants a young adoptive mother, and Kris is the only one their agency is currently working with in her 20s. After an encouraging call from their social worker they spent a frantic weekend getting some last things done in order to be considered by this mom. Today is a big day: the birth mother will view Kris and Eric's profile (along with a few others) and make her decision soon after. She is due in June, in just a few weeks!

Will you please pray with us? Obviously, God's will is sovereign and he has already hand picked the right baby for Kris and Eric, but will you pray that this particular situation may work out the way they want it to? And if that is the case, will you pray that everything falls into place properly? Maybe this is their baby! Maybe we will have a new niece or nephew in just a few weeks!

Date with Daddy

Tonight Dave took Ella out for a night of musical theatre. The play is Pirates of Penzance and it is being performed at school by our middle school students. I tried to prepare Ella for this night and the quiet she'd need to keep by explaining the concept of a play and reading her a story about someone in a play. She said, "After the kids, it will be our turn to go on stage?" and "I want to be the star!" Could I really expect anything less from my fearless little performer?

Shhh, don't tell, but Dave heard from multiple sources (including the students!) that the play is terrible. Ella is his early exit strategy! :)

4 and 103

I have not been updating the blog. If you're wondering where we've been, the answer is "INSIDE." This week has been gloriously and frustratingly low key. The main reason for this is in the title: $4 gas and 103 degree temps. Our home is the cheapest and coolest place to hang out right now. During Delia's nap, Ella and I were able to brave the heat for about an hour this morning (with the help of her little pool). We gave our garden some care and were happy to discover our first red strawberry! In just a short time we'll have all sorts of fruit and vegetable goodies to enjoy-- tomatoes, beans, zucchinis, cucumbers, strawberries, cantaloupe and basil-- almost all are thriving!

So, sorry for the short blog break. Unless you wanted to see pictures of every toy we own scattered all over the floors, or us in our jammies until lunch time or Delia's new ability to shelf climb (Yes, her feet were off the floor!) or us watching old home movies and videos, I thought I'd just let us live life (mundane as it is) instead of blogging it this week.

Pastor Ella

Yesterday Ella experienced a new first-- a Sunday morning not spent entirely in the nursery! When children at our church turn 3, they graduate from the nursery and start attending worship in the sanctuary. They stay for the first part, which is mostly singing, then leave for Children In Worship. Ella is not technically 3 for a few more weeks, but a friend who is the teacher offered to take her out of nursery and to Children In Worship. We knew she was ready to start actually learning and worshipping at church (instead of just playing) so we were not surprised that she loved it and did great. She'll continue to attend nursery and Children In Worship until summer break and in the fall we'll start bringing her into church with us when she'll start up again.

With this update on Ella's church life, I'd thought I'd also share something that's been hilarious to Dave and me lately. Ella's favorite game to play is "Pastor Ella." Here is what it entails: setting up a pulpit, positioning a sermon manuscript on it (usually a magazine, but for this picture she's actually using a children's Bible), delivering a sermon to us, praying, then leading us in a song. Here are some of the funny things she says, "Mommy, Daddy, sit down it's time for your sermon!" or "I am Pastor Bruce, wait I have to go get my moustache..." The "sermon" is typically some silly babble about a Bible story she knows mixed with narration of the magazine pictures she's flipping though. The prayer is usually something sweet and simple about thanking God for blessings. Her after-sermon songs of choice are "Jesus Loves the Little Children" and "This Little Light of Mine." We find it especially interesting that she has this routine down so well-- she really has nothing to base it on, as she's spent her entire church life in the nursery so far. Pastor instincts, I guess!

Considering the Contradiction of Motherhood

With the celebration of Mother's Day, I've been appreciating God as the Glorious Designer and Creator. How interestingly he devised motherhood! One the one side of this amazing relationship I am blessed to be a part of is extreme validation, self worth and power. It is my arms alone that can stop those tears. It is me the little ones come running/crawling to with the giant smile of excitement. My ultimate authority lies in the simple explanation to my willful toddler, "MOMMY gets to make the decisions, YOU need to do what I tell you." The point of getting out of bed to tackle each day is extremely clear-- take care of the girls. The feeling of purpose is obvious. I know without a doubt that I am loved and needed. On me their whole life is dependant.

Lest one get a giant ego or wander down a path of power, there is complete humility in motherhood also. Ultimately motherhood is not about boosting self worth or finding personal purpose, it is about being a servant. God humbles us with the responsibilities of being Mommy: feeding, bathing, playing with and actively teaching our children even when all we desperately want is to sleep, shower or have some "Me Time." When I am wiping booties and drippy noses, kissing ouchies or cleaning the mashed bananas and spit-up off of me, the realization that I am called to serve and minister to my children sets in. The denial of self is a regular part of mothering little ones.

What a neat combination of validation and humility motherhood is. They fit together perfectly so that the sacrifice is easy and the desire to say "It's about me" is immediately refuted.

This Mother's Day, once again, love and appreciation has been heaped upon me. Dave declared it "Mother's Week" and filled it with special treats, thoughtful gestures and "I love yous." While he watched our daughters and Julie's, I got a pedicure with my friend and AnnaJean (my CA mom). Dave, Ella and Delia also surprised me with an awesome gift-- the complete series of I Love Lucy on DVD, a gift that I will share with my daughters as my own mom did with me. All this on top of what is already my best gift in life-- my two beautiful girls!

Breaking Teeth and Switching Seats

More milestones for Delia! This week she cut her first tooth, leaving her drooly, crabby and sleepless (that combined with the cold she's battling). We also noticed that she was getting too big for her infant car seat, so today a new big-girl seat was purchased. She'll still ride backwards, but more safely and comfortably now. The infant car seat-- its base, bucket and stroller-- was a gift from Mom and Dad when Ella was born. What a great gift! As we pack it away, we appreciate how much use we got out of it for both girls. And sigh, my baby is growing up...

The big, empty car seat box is endless fun. Delia loves playing peek-a-boo in it. Ella loves pretending she's a puppy being given as a present.

One Liners

"Don't let Satan blow it up." (as in "This Little Light of Mine")

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"Hi Lady, I would like the chicken salad please." (A very mature and polite order...except we were not in a restaurant, we were in the Target and the cashier was not a waitress.)

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"Let's get out of here, word to your mother!" and "Turn off the lights, I'll glow. Ice Ice Baby!" (Yep, the retro-rewind lunch strikes again. New Kids on the Block is apparently so last month, now we're into Vanilla Ice.)

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I can't wait till Delia starts talking. Will that mean double the hilarity?

Countdown

Here is a quote we've been hearing a lot of lately, "I am going to go hiking with Grandpa and Grandma! They are coming for my birthday when I turn 3, but I have to wait a lotta, lotsa days..." The speaker is Ella and it is blurted out to everyone including post men, cashiers and random people in the cookie line at church. On Sunday we hit the 20 day mark to their visit, so I thought I'd heighten anticipation even more by creating this countdown with Ella. There are 20 numbered pictures of Grandpa and Grandma on our wall and each night we get to take one down. It is very exciting (and good practice!) to count down how many more days until they arrive. Except for one quick weekend with Dad, we haven't seen VM family since Thanksgiving and don't have any other summer visitors planned yet, so we are all very anxious for the 24th!!

In the meantime, we are still having fun filling the days. Click here to read about our play date yesterday at Jetta's featuring 6 BRAND NEW BABY KITTENS for Ella to terrorize.

Famous!

A few weeks ago I snapped this picture of Ella. It was taken at the nursery where we always buy our flowers. And it was taken after the owner of the nursery took one first (I know, I'm obsessed with our blog and usually carry my camera on even routine errands). The owner spotted Ella riding along in the red wagon with the assortment of flowers and shrubs I picked out and went nuts over how cute she was. After getting my permission to use her image for the nursery, he took the picture. Well today we went back to buy my Vincas that were finally available and we were greeted by one, every employee saying, "Hey! It's our local celebrity!" and two, a poster sized reprint of this picture hanging on a central bulletin board! We know Ella is a cutie, but add a wagon full of colorful blooms and apparently she has the makings to be famous! :)

Sooo Big!

Here's Delia's latest...

Sorry for the bumpy video, Ella was sitting in my lap kicking the camera strap. And yes, that is a rubber bacon Delia is holding.

3 Things Meme

So apparently in the blog world there is this thing called a Meme. This is a combination of chain letter and one of those emails that asks questions about yourself which passes from blog to blog. I was recently "tagged" by Sarah from Through the VB Family Window and had no idea what to do. It seems a bit self-promotional to me, but I must admit I do love reading others' answers. So, after doing a little research on my new favorite Rocks In My Dryer blog (thanks Amy!) I am now more educated on what a Meme is and will attempt to participate...

3 Things Meme:

3 places I go all the time:
1. Church
2. Target
3. Jetta's house

3 people who email me:
1. Kristen-- usually with some hilarious story. Today? How the nurse at her doctor's office couldn't convert the metric system and wrote on her chart that she is 3 ft. 3 in and 217 pounds!
2. Karen-- with updates on my boyz (presently Theoren has CHICKEN POX!!)
3. (Lately) Amy B-- with questions about pregnancy (Did y'all know Nick and Amy are having a baby??)

3 favorite places to eat:
1. Panera Bread
2. Chevys
3. Dorina's Kitchen

3 Places I'd like to be right now: No where! As I anticipate a warm sunny day of play with my well-rested family, I'm completely happy about where I am. Here are 3 places I'm glad I'm not at right now:
1. on an airplane
2. at a doctor's office
3. somewhere cold-- like Chicago (ha!)

3 Projects I'd like to get started:
(Understand that by "I" I really mean "Dave!")
1. Move the mountain of baby gear we're done with from the guest house to the attic
2. Re-sod and picket fence the front yard (a long-term project, but one we're planning on starting soon with our economic stimulus check!)
3. Add a shelf and cabinets to the built-in entertainment center for toy storage.

3 people who will do this:
I won't name anyone in particular, but if you are reading this and have a blog-- consider yourself tagged!

3 TV shows I could watch over and over:
Are you kidding me? Just 3?! A TV addict/lover like me couldn't possibly narrow it down to 3. Here are 6:
1. I Love Lucy
2. Dancing With the Stars
3. The Office (BBC version)
4. Newsradio
5. Saturday Night Live (especially the Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon cast)
6. Beverly Hills 90210, Survivor, Amazing Race and Brothers and Sisters!

A Tale of Two Sisters

When we got pregnant with Delia I was so happy for Ella. When we found out Delia was a girl I thought, "We are giving Ella the best gift ever...a sister!" However with Delia's strengthening mobility Ella has decided that this is a gift she could live without. The above pictures speak volumes. As you can see, Ella is getting to be such a big girl. She's independent and loves things like making crafts, quiet reading time and setting up imaginary play worlds (as previously blogged). Delia is mischievous, passionate, stubborn and insatiably curious-- happy all-the-while, but a handful nonetheless.

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The combination is not a good one.

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Delia comes crashing through Ella's tea parties like a tornado, never lets us finish a story in peace anymore and attempts to shred her paper-bag puppets mid puppet show. Delia is most interested in whatever Ella is holding.

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After a few tantrums and a kick to Delia's chest, we've been really emphasizing how Ella needs to show patience and kindness to the sister whom she loves. Ella is so naturally nurturing and helpful that she is now quick to bring Delia another distractionary toy or chime in with a suggestion like, "Delia wants to play with blocks while you read me the Jamberry story." I often hear "Can you please move Delia!!" resounding through my home.

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Today Ella found a new way to let out her feelings for little sister-- wrestling! She initiated a gentle Smack down that left Delia roaring with laughter. So there are lots of fun moments of play too. They DO love each other very much, we're just in that phase (I hope!).

Helping

Make dinner...

Unload the dishwasher...

Fold (unfold!) laundry...

My Roses Are Red...

...and pink and yellow and peach and white (but not blue).

Read this post

and you can appreciate them too!

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I planted 6 rose bushes when we moved in 5 years ago. They have really taken and are my favorite thing we grow, presently looking amazing. The bushes line the brick walkway to our front door and make me happy each time I come home and stroll past them. Every couple days I prune a few of the abundant blossoms and arrange them in a vase. They bring such beauty and fragrance into our home.

Doesn't This Look Like a Blast?

It must be, because each of my girls at this age has been obsessed with this game of "Yank All the Movies Off the Shelf." At least this time around Ella (with her love of order) puts them back moments after Delia takes them off!