A Little of This, and a Little of That

I've been racking my brain, trying to determine a post topic, and haven't had much luck. Could it be that there's nothing of note to post? Or maybe it's due to a sleep-deprived five months. (I think it's the latter, to be honest. Forming cohesive, coherent thoughts are a bit challenging these days.) So, just some random bits from our lives as of late.

LEAH: "It's kind of like... (fill in the blank)". She uses this phrase regularly, and we're not sure where she picked it up. What's funny, is when she uses it to make a non-comparison, like when describing her pink Barbie Jeep: "It's kind of like pink."
  (A note about this Jeep. Leah loves crawling on and playing in it, but she refuses to drive it. She'd rather Hunter "drive" it. Scott's been encouraging her-- when it comes to driving-- and he's making some progress, but she's not quite ready to venture out on her own. Is this a sign of what's to come when she's 16?)

Her imagination is taking off, too. Now we're often story or movie characters. As of this morning, I've been Cinderella AND Duke (from the Diggingest Dog). (For the record, she was the Fairy Godmother AND Sammy Brown.) Last night's roles took a new twist:
  Leah (to me): You be Cinderella, and I be the Fairy Godmother.
  Me: Who is Hunter?
  Leah: He's the Cat in the Hat.
  Me: Who's Daddy? Is he the prince?
  Leah: No, he's Scott (giggle, giggle).

 Generally speaking, I think Hunter resembles me more than Scott, but in this photo, I definitely see his daddy.

*I'm so thankful that I have at least one child who cooperates for photos these days, and no, it's NOT Leah. Trying to take her picture is like trying to walk a cat. Neither one cooperates. Go figure, then, that when my dad was taking pictures of Leah and her cousins in their Christmas pajamas for my parents' Christmas card, Leah was all smiles, and so cooperative. As soon as I tried, though, she immediately reverted to her too-busy-to-pose self. *sigh*

Thankful

Apparently, most FB users are giving thanks daily throughout November until Thanksgiving day. Considering my inability to check FB regularly, I thought I'd simply blog about twenty-four blessings for which I'm thankful. So below, in no particular order, is what I'm thankful for.

1. A relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whose abundant grace covers all my sins

2. Scott, who brings a smile to my face, and who loves me deeply

3. Leah,  whose joyful and loving spirit warms my heart and makes me laugh

4. Hunter, my happy, cuddly baby boy who reminds me to slow down and play

5. My parents and their loving, constant support

6. My in-laws, who truly treat me and love me like a daughter

7. Baby Tylenol, the miracle in a bottle that provides sweet relief to my teething baby

8. Leah's imagination and the many worlds it opens to her ("Mommy, you be Duke --the dog--, and I am Sammy Brown" [From "The Diggingest Dog"] or "Mommy, you be Bob the Tomato, and I am Larry the Cucumber.")

9. A roof over our heads

10. The funds to pay for unexpected (but much needed) home repairs (the chimney comes to mind)

11. A full night's sleep (haven't had one since June 24, but boy, will I enjoy it when I do!)

12. Coffee. Caffeinated. (See why in #11)

13. Girlfriends, who offer encouragement, friendship, a listening ear, and advice (but only when solicited!)

14. Phones and email that allow me to stay in touch with loved ones who are far away (NY, GA, SC, NC)

15. Fresh air and sunny fall days

16. A clean house (working on that one this week)

17. A completed to-do list (yes, I'm Type A, though a mellowed out version thanks to the kids)

18. An engrossing book (Right now it's The Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah. Who wants it next?)

19. Dark chocolate. (I can't believe I didn't mention that earlier!)

20. Baking. There's something comforting about whipping up a batch of cookies for my family or friends. The only drawback (no, it's not extra calories)? Sometimes I'll back instead of working on the to-do list (see #17).

21. Thanksgiving Day itself. Absolute FAVORITE holiday.

22. Scrapbooking. It's my creative venue and release

23. Fuzzy slippers or socks, comfy pajamas, and a roaring fire

24. The freedom to speak my mind and share my opinion without fear of repercussion

Four Months

Hunter turned four months old a week ago Monday. Four months! The time has certainly brought some changes, most for the better. Below, a run-down of our baby boy's progress.

*Hunter is cooing & laughing much more now. He loves interacting with us, especially Leah (that hasn't changed much). Peek-a-boo and patty-cake are two favorites of his. During dinner, he has to be at the table with us. Instead of sitting in the bouncy seat ON the table, he'd rather be on Scott's lap AT the table. He could be fussing in the bouncy, but as soon as Scott picks him up, he's all smiles. (The he proceeds to grin at me the rest of dinner. So endearing!)

*Physically, he can now roll over from back to belly. The first time he did this (a week ago today), neither Scott nor I saw it. I was making dinner, and Scott and the kids were in the office. While Leah & Scott played computer games (check out pbskids.org), Hunter entertained himself on his back on the playmat. When Scott turned around to check on him, there was Hunter, smiling, and on his belly! Sneaky boy! 

Hunter is also learning how to hitch. Leah was a pro at the army crawl (she was mobile by this age), but Hunter has discovered his own way of moving. He sticks his butt in the air, and then pushes with his legs. Of course, he needs the right motivation to do so. He only moved when he saw Daddy on the other side of the playmat. As soon as Scott moved behind him, he stopped inching along. See what I mean about social?

*Sleep is the only area that hasn't improved much. Lately, he's been getting up more and more often during the night. *sigh* I know that he'll learn eventually, but reminding myself of that truth isn't easy when I feel like I'm spending more time in his room than mine during the night. On the bright side, he is doing (a little) better about napping during the day so long as I put him down at the right time (as in, before he's overtired). 

One-on-one time with him is so precious, and he always rewards me with a big smile. When I feel frustrated that I'm not as productive as I used to be, being with him, hearing him laugh, and seeing his toothless grin remind me that he's much more valuable than anything else on the to-do list. What a joy and blessing he is!

 Four months old

 Future Warrior

She's Going to Kill Me When She's Older!

I've been keeping a record of some of the funny things that Leah says and does. Since I'm running a bit short on time today, I thought I'd share a couple recent incidents that I recorded. Enjoy.

*Leah is obsessed with going naked these days. While eating dinner at Arby's, she spilled chocolate milk on her shirt. As soon as we got home, she wanted to take off the shirt since it was dirty. I helped her remove it, and while I was applying stain stick to it, Leah promptly removed her pants and panties. Freed from the burdens of garments, she proceeded to run laps through the hall and living room until it was time to go upstairs. Of course, when Scott told her it was time to go up to bed, Leah took off running again.

Me: “Leah, it's time to go upstairs with Daddy.”

Leah: “Okay. I run one more time, and then I go upstairs.” Then I watched as her naked butt took off toward the living room one last time.

Me: “Okay. Once more, and then upstairs.” I could not stop laughing at her exhibitionism. Too funny.

*We've started taping Leah's diapers on since she enjoys taking them off during her rest periods. During one of her rests, she started crying because of her dirty diaper, so I went upstairs and changed her. Apparently, when I put a new diaper on her, I didn't tape it on properly.  Maybe 20 minutes later, I went up to get her up for good, and what I saw, was not a good sign.

The door to her room was shut, and Leah's diaper was in the hall. Still, she couldn't have done that much damage in such a short period of time, right? Silly me.

I opened the door, and there sat a naked Leah on the floor. “Did you pee on the floor?” I challenged, hoping that she hadn't (that's why we had to start taping the diapers on in the first place).

“No, I pooped!” she exclaimed proudly.

“You pooped? Where?”

“In the dog bed!” And there, in her toy dog bed, was her masterpiece.

Family Day

Saturday morning, Scott and I took the kids to Old Mine Ranch to break from our usual weekend routine of hanging around the house. Leah and I had been last year, and she enjoyed herself, so I figured she'd have more fun this time since she's a year older. 

Honestly, I don't know if she enjoyed herself more or not. She was a bit hesitant to feed the animals (unlike last year), go on the moonbounce, and play in the tunnels (though she didn't play in those much last year). Plus, much of the time she walked around with her hands folded in front of her (which has taken the place of her sucking her thumb when she's overwhelmed or nervous). Despite her demeanor, she loved running in her "fast running shoes" and painting her pumpkin (as well as mine and Scott's).

We asked if she was having fun, and she did reply, "yes", but her actions suggested otherwise. Then again, she does take some time adjusting to new places and situations. After all, when I first took her to the Sprayground, she spent most of the time glued to me, but on subsequent visits, she freely played in the fountains. Maybe if we had been at OMR for a couple of hours, she would have felt more comfortable.

In spite of the lack of outward enthusiasm, the morning was well spent there. Besides, it got us out of the house on a beautiful fall day and allowed for some fun time together as a family, which was really the purpose of the outing.

 Hunter enjoyed the sites and sounds. Not long after this, he was sound asleep.

 Feeding the sheep with Daddy's help. Scott fed more animals than Leah did.

 One of the highlights for Leah was the pig. I don't understand this obsession, but at least it made her happy.

 Why decorate the pumpkin when you can color on the table?

At work on her masterpiece.

God's Grace

This fall, as part of Community Bible Study (CBS), I'm studying the book of Job. Now, I've read this book several times, but being a part of a community with lecture, homework, and discussion has broadened and increased my understanding of this important book. The overarching themes are "God is just," and "God is sovereign", both of which are initially difficult to comprehend considering the intense suffering Job experiences. (Keep in mind, though, that Satan -- not God-- inflicts these sufferings; however, God allows this to happen.) After all, how could a just God allow suffering? (This is a question common to many still today. Though that's not the focus of this post, do remember that we live in a sinful world; sometimes pain/ trials are necessary so that we may grow; God is bigger than our experiences.)

Both themes are so appropriate personally now. Without going into too much detail, let's just say that currently my life is being challenged on a Job-like scale: my health, my family, and my home. Thankfully, I haven't been discouraged in the midst of these trials. Instead, I've been frustrated. Frustrated that it's one more doctor's appointment. Frustrated that it's one more house project. I'm just tired of dealing with "one more thing".

When I mentioned the uncanny parallels between my life and Job's to a friend, I alluded to God's sense of humor and timing, but she said it better: it's more like God's grace that I'm studying Job at this very time. What a spot-on assessment, for if I weren't studying this book at this time, then my attitude might have been a bit different. I'm sure I still would have been frustrated, but I might also have adopted an Eeyore-like, "woe is me" attitude of self-pity. Thus, instead of focusing on God and what I can learn from this/ how I can grow, I'd wallow in the uncertainty of some of these problems.

This isn't to say that being frustrated is acceptable. Rather, I should be re-directing my thoughts toward God's provision, sovereignty, and grace. He's allowed these trials for a reason. I might not know what that reason is, nor may I fully understand the purpose, but through these, I can cling to Him and the Truth that I know about Him. That might be what He wants to remind me of.

Nonetheless, I can "rejoice in [my] sufferings, because [I] know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" (Romans 5:3-5).

Still a Princess?

Leah has officially entered the terrible twos. Ugh. My sweet, OBEDIENT little princess frequently (as in DAILY) tests my patience and challenges my authority. All too often, this means that I hardly feel (or act) like the queen; instead, the dragon that guards the castle emerges baring her teeth, lashing her tongue, and blowing fire. Not a pretty or welcoming picture. Despite my attempts to rein her in, she persists at the prodding of Princess Leah. 

Apparently the Princess is exercising her independence -- everywhere. At Target. At the grocery store. At church (though not in her class... I think not, anyway). At the photography studio. At home. Counting and time outs are the activities du jour. Even fun activities morph into discipline sessions. 

Case in point: We were playing outside the other day, and Leah found a stick. No big deal, since she often plays with them. The problem arose when it was time to go in. 

    "Leah, it's time to go inside. You can put the stick on the box or on the driveway, but you can't take it in."

   "I play with it one more time, and then go inside."

  "No, it's time to go inside now." At this point, Leah ran, determined to play with the stick "one more time". Ugh. Guess who emerged from the castle? Certainly not the queen in all her refinement.

Sometimes I feel as if these battles outweigh the sweet and funny moments with the Princess. Thankfully, when the King comes home, I can observe his interactions with the Princess, and am often reminded of her pleasant and endearing disposition (why is it that she complies with his requests?). 

Case in point: Leah tried on the Viking hat (fuzzy hat with horns) that Scott received for participating in the Warrior Dash. Her comment: "I a moose." 

So, is she still a princess when her behavior is most un-princess-like? Of course. Maybe the better question is, am I still a queen when my behavior is most un-queen-like?