Blog Fluff

Mom R caught this sweet photo of Eli one Sunday afternoon. Isn't he a doll? (I actually hear that comparison fairly regularly, though I'm sure he'll hate to hear that recounted when he's older!)


He's getting teeth (at 3 1/2 months!). He has in two and is working on a third, and like his older sister, he's cutting them in a random order. (The first tooth cut was about 3 over from where his lower, front incisor will be; he has since gotten one of his lower, front incisors and is working on another by the first one cut) Guess we'll have to break out the steak and potatoes a little sooner than we had planned if he keeps this up!

(And for the record, I know you can't actually see any teeth in these photos, so you'll just have to take my word for it. I just wanted to show-off what a good sport he was while I tried to get pictures, twisting his mouth to and fro)

For her birthday, N got a play cookie baking set to go with her play kitchen. (Thanks, Jon & Amy!) For a few days, here recently, she was carrying around the "cookie dough roll" everywhere she went. When we were leaving to go on a walk, she dashed back into the house, got the cookie dough, carefully tucked it in her pocked and stated, "Ok, now I'm cool."

So many thoughts raced through my mind:
And having cookie dough in your pocket makes you cool, how?
Where did you learn that phrase, anyway?
Do you plan to eat that dough when we get to the park, and if so, should I pack some pretend milk in a sippy, just in case?

I found Norah in this position the other day. Intrigued, I inquired as to what she was doing. Her reply:
"I'm a bunny. See my tail?" (You might notice she's referencing a book to be certain her stance is accurate)

Look Closer

Notice anything special about this BBQ pit?













How about now?

My brother went to clean out his BBQ pit a few weeks back and discovered that a wren had built a Spring nest, complete with tiny, speckled eggs, beneath the grate. He thought it was pretty special, so he decided to hold off on BBQ-ing and let nature run it's course.

Low and behold, while checking on "the eggs" this morning (The kids and I were over for a visit), we discovered that the chicks had arrived! (All except one--we're still waiting to see if the final egg will hatch). We also discovered that the babies would open their mouthes up wide if we whistled...mean trick, I know--we just did it a couple of times to get a good picture (otherwise it was hard to tell what they were), and then we let them be. (And in case you're wondering, Mama Wren returned home with some lunch shortly after we vacated)

First Thing in the Morning...

Today marked the first morning in I can't remember how long that I woke of my own accord. Eli's been sleeping like a champ for a few weeks now (up to 12 hours now!!), but Norah has recently decided that "our special time" is anytime between 3-5am. I don't know that she consciously chose this obscure window of time, as I'm pretty sure that she isn't really awake when she comes and crawls into bed with me, (I think we have a little sleep walker on our hands), but she's been doing it like clockwork for a while now.

Typically she comes to my side of the bed, and gropes around until I reach down and help her up. Then she wiggles and thrashes mercilessly around until I finally give in and take her back to her own bed. (Usually after a quick trip to the potty, which she also manages to sleep through, while still taking care of business) Even though she's asleep through all of this, somehow she knows when I try to leave her room, because she always submits a pitiful request to, "Snuggle, Mommy?" and I usually do for a little while (who could deny such a sweet petition?) before heading back to my room for a few more precious winks before Eli's morning feeding.

At any rate, for whatever reason, today she never came. I was a little uneasy when I awoke, so I went to check on her in her room, and discovered that she has, apparently found a new sleep position. (Well, not entirely new--I used to occasionally find her like this in her crib when she was smaller, so I guess old habits really do die hard) It made me laugh, so I had to get a couple pictures. (As you can see, the quilt I worked so hard on keeps her really warm)

....and since I had the camera out and was in the neighborhood, I thought I'd grab a quick picture of Eli too. He wasn't making any noise, so I expected to capture a sleeping baby picture, but what I got was even better! This is the way I find him on most mornings. I peer over his crib, he sees me looking at him, and I'm greeted by a jubilant smile exuding pure, 100% elation at my mere presence. Talk about a serious confidence boost! And now, I have that face memorialized in photo form for all eternity. (He also does this cute, little "happy wiggle" because he knows he's about to get breakfast when he sees me--I really need to catch that one on video--it's priceless!)

Springtime at the Farm

Spring has arrived, as was evidenced during last weekend's visit to "the Farm". Norah was pleased to make the acquaintance of seven, new baby goats (with even more on the way)









Here she is riding on proud Papa, "Bill's" back.










Uncle Grant has also added some wee little piggies to his animal menagerie.







They were a little skittish at first, but Norah has long since learned that the way to Uncle Grant's animals' hearts is through their stomachs.




Norah didn't believe that Uncle Grant could really lasso her...









So he proved it to her. Of course, next, a game of "Oh no, don't lasso me, Uncle Grant!" (Which, as you can imagine, is quite similar to the ever-popular, "Oh! Please don't tickle me!") ensued.









Norah was amazed as she watched Uncle Grant herd his goats with the bull whip (don't worry, he uses it for the intimidating sound it makes, he doesn't actually beat his livestock). She decided to try her hand at it. (Again, don't worry, it is way too long for her to get enough snap on it to give herself an Indiana Jones-esque scar anytime soon)




Norah discovered that one of the farm cats had a new baby kitten...







Which, of course, she had to hold...









Meanwhile, Eli sat, entranced by one of Grandmother's stories. (Jason joked that by the look on E's face, it's obvious he's the only one in the family who hadn't heard it before)

The Importance of Accessorization

Today was a good day-- one I hope to remember. There was nothing overly spectacular about it, other than the fact that it was a really good day with Norah.

In spite of what our Utopia-esque blog might imply (I keep this blog, partially for my children to go back and read my "journal" efforts someday, so why chronicle the negatives?), we definitely have our days when I am conscious (all day long) that Norah is SO two years old. Then, there are great days, like today, when all I can think about is how lucky I am, how much I love her, how precious she is, and how much I'm going to miss days like today when they are no more.

N wanted to walk by herself at the grocery store today, so for the first time ever (at least on a full-out grocery shopping trip), I let her. I told her that she had to stick by my side, and she did. It was a totally pleasant shopping experience. I was so proud! (If you don't understand why, I'm guessing you either have a perfect child, or you don't make a habit of shopping with a two year-old)

Naps have been very hit and miss lately. I know she's probably close to giving up her afternoon nap, but I'm holding on for dear life. Today, however, she never really got fussy or showed any signs of exhaustion, so instead of forcing the issue, I decided to have some mommy/daughter time in the kitchen. We made homemade pizza, and had a blast. (She even cheered for me while I attempted my first-ever restaurant-style pizza dough toss!) My favorite memory of our cooking experience today was when I cut the bell pepper into rings and Norah quickly grabbed two, slid them onto her wrists, and exclaimed, "Look, Mommy! Bracelets match my outfit!"

This Week in Cakes

I had two fun new cake designs this week, so I thought I'd share. The first was for 4 year-old Karis, and the second was for her 9 year-old sister, Melody.












Their amazing (and brave) mother had both (separate) parties on the same day! What a woman! I was worn out just making the cakes!










Both designs were taken from napkins that matched the party decor. It was fun to do something so different and whimsical!

Dinner and a Show

Perhaps N has a future in fashion design. Last night at dinner she fashioned a custom poncho for her sippy cup. As she ever-so-carefully tried it on her model, she smiled in triumph and exclaimed, (and I quote), "Awwwww! A brand new outfit!"

Don't discount the quality of her work based on the primitive nature of her medium. I don't think I could have done much better if all I were given was a tortilla to work with!



While I was getting ready for Ladies' Class on Wednesday morning, I put Eli in the school house play center. Norah loves it when he's in there because she likes to "teach" him. (She usually tries to force him ring the bell or shake the rattle), but on this day she was in the mood to entertain.

I heard her singing a medley of fully recognizable songs (ranging from the ABCs, to Jesus Loves Me, to a few choice Veggie Tales tunes), so I sneaked in behind her, unnoticed and enjoyed a full show, including her own, unique dance moves.
One of the most entertaining parts was watching Eli. He was BEAMING at her, completely entertained by her theatrics.

I rushed away to get my camera and caught one snapshot of his expression before Norah was onto me and wanted to pose. All in all though, I think both pictures turned out pretty sweet. (And it still cracks me up that she can't knowingly be photographed with her brother without putting her arm around him or her hand on his head, etc. She is so proud of that baby brother!)