I have moved to....

Tiny Talk Tuesday.

We have had a thunder storm this evening, and my two boys that share a room responded very differently.

My two year old showed up in the hallway shortly after the thunder sounded, shaking and crying, obviously scared.

My five year old showed up in the hallway with a huge smile on his face, saying, "mama, when I clap, I make lightning!"

My two year old finally fell asleep clutching my sweatshirt and listening to soothing music, and when I peeked in, my five year old was sprawled out sound asleep.

*My baby has double ear infections, and is on antibiotics, sleeping soundly through the storm. Hopefully he feels better in the morning.

Another day, another basket...

We find this little boy in baskets, and drawers of all shapes and sizes. He is loving his newly learned mobilization.

A harder update.

One of my friends lost her friend Marcy to cancer yesterday afternoon. It has been a long battle, and a very difficult season of time for all those involved. She has left behind a husband, and two children, ages 7 and around 18 months. They will need many prayers of comfort, and support to get through this time.

Noticing Project

I discovered this photo blog called the "Noticing Project,"

"The notion of the project is to look intently and observe the small or ephemeral moments around us.

We will post images daily {mon. - fri.} throughout 2008."

If you like looking at photos, check back there often.

Deceptively Delicious

~I got this cookbook for Christmas, "Deceptively Delicious," and so far it is really good! The basic idea is to sneak vegetables into normal recipes, so that kids (and adults too I guess) will eat more of them. The recipes use pureed vegetables in dishes, so it's handy if you have babies too, because you can use that pureed food for them!
So far we have tried the rice krispie treats, that are baisically the same except you use brown rice cereal and add some flax seed. They taste the same to me, and the kids love them.

~Have you tried this cook book, or have another good one to recommend?

Are you a cool parent?

Read the quiz here. It's pretty funny.
Here's how you can rate:

MOSTLY A
Congratulations! You are one cool parent! Enjoy it while you can because your children will hate you when they are teenagers and you are still trying to upstage them.
MOSTLY B
Congratulations! You are one uncool parent! Your children will only appreciate you, though, in about 20 years' time.
MOSTLY C's
"Congratulations! You are a complete eccentric and you don't get many of them to the pound these days. Your children are all set to have lucrative jobs as successful writers and broadcasters, cashing in on their bizarre childhoods. You'll probably be incredibly cool after you're dead, so make sure you take lots of photos and wobbly cine footage now. It'll do their careers no end of good."

Disappointment

"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."
- Martin Luther King

Don't let your kid push my kid.

We were at a indoor playground today to let my kids get their energies out, and my two year old was standing near a slide. A little girl, (that looked a few years older than him) walked up behind him and pushed him into the slide. He stood there looking offended, and I kept my mouth shut, thinking it was an accident that looked intentional, and waiting for her mother to say something, or for the little girl to run off and play. The little girl looked at my son, and pushed him into the slide again. His face started to scrunch up, and I couldn't wait any longer, and asked the little girl, "please do not push him." She skipped off, as her mother sat there with pursed lips.
In these kinds of situations, I get pretty annoyed with the parents. Why did the mom just sit there and watch this situation unfold? Why did she not get up and intervene? Obviously the little girl was being a bully. Was the mom too tired to handle it? Did she think that my two year old and her four year old could work it out in a mature way? (I hope that she just didn't see it happen) Obviously, I realize that kids are going to do this to each other from time to time, and not play in perfect harmony, but when it's really young children, and the parents are sitting there watching, don't you think they should intervene, and teach them not to hurt other kids?
~What do you think?

The 20's

My baby sitter is 16. She talks a lot, really fast, has big dangly earings, and says "totally" and "like" a lot. She just got into a fender bender, and she has boy troubles. 10 years ago, I was 16. It doesn't seem that long ago. Most of my friends here in TN are around the age of 36. They are very comfortable in life, and have been married for a good amount of time. They seem fairly secure and certain of who they are. That is 10 years from now, for me. There is a big difference between a 16 year old and a 36 year old, but I feel like at 26 I can easily relate to, and hang out with both.

It's kind of weird to be in this growing time of adulthood. (if that makes any sense) It seems like it's a time of searching, of figuring out who I am, and how I want to do life. I'm lingering between those years where I was out of control, and growing into the years where I am confident in the decisions I make, and comfortable with where I am.
It's a cool time of life, but kind of weird.

~Are the 20's a weird time for anyone else?

Thank you for your closet

We got an e mail last night from our little friends that stayed with us last week. The oldest boy sent us a very polite and well written e mail, that was very sweet. He is a very sweet and smart boy, and we are glad he had a good time. Their little girl was so fun for me to have around, I loved seeing her very girly, outgoing, personality, and the outfits she'd come up with. Her e mail went something like this.

"You are my best friend and I really like to play in your room. I really
like your best and I like everything in your rooms.

I like your rooms with Aiden in it.

I like your beds and your rooms.

I like it in your closets. (the toys and books are in the closets...)

I like your stickers and when you go in the bathroom.

I like it in your room on your books.

And I like your books.

I like your potty.

I really like your everything.

Thank you."

Their little baby was the sweetest little girl, who smiled when she'd see our baby Cooper coming. I am sure they liked having someone their own size to play with. She makes sounds like a dove, which is why I think they've nick named her "Little Bird."

~Very Cute kids, very fun family.