Family Heirloom/Jungle Gym

We have been blessed with a family heirloom that I just love! This hutch has so much history, it came to Indiana on a covered wagon. I love to hear stories of all of the generations who have enjoyed it. I am sure one day the top will hold our china and other family treasures, but today it holds things we don't want little hands to touch. The bottom is a play gym for the kids. It is neat to hear stories about my mom playing in it as a child at her grandmother's house. Now its Olivia and Logan's turn.

(blurry picture of Logan, but I love that I captured his mischievous smile)

We decided to give Logan a turn at painting! His first time to make a huge mess with paints! He did not disappoint, and he had a great time.

Quote of the day:

After getting in trouble for not listening.

Olivia: "I love you mom, you are the best mom ever. God made a good choice."

LOVING this time of year!!

Last night we kicked off our week-long celebration of Olivia for her birthday (but really don't we celebrate the kids EVERYDAY???) by putting up the Christmas tree, having a fire in the fireplace and snuggling up all together to watch Charlie Brown Christmas. I put the tree and the lights up and Olivia decorated with the garland she picked out herself! Today she has been adding more garland-type decorations and re-arranging them over and over. I am thinking we should leave the tree up forever and just use it as entertainment!

Olivia is also busy saving the world today as Kimpossible (sp?). Running from couch to ottoman to chair, yelling "I am saving the world!!!" Whew, we can all rest easy tonight. Does anyone recognize the dress? This is the dress from last year that Olivia literally wore EVERYDAY for about 4 months, I washed it almost every day and when it got cold she would layer. She found it the other day (I must keep it to show her when she gets older) and has been wearing it as a short dress with pants.

Tommy surprised the kids and came home for lunch! Logan got a new "Jay, Jay" as he calls airplanes and couldn't wait to show dad!

Jungle Book

This Sunday afternoon, I was getting ALOT done while Tommy played with the kids. I found them re-enacting a scene from the Jungle Book movie! No wonder our kiddos are always jumping around on the furniture!!!!! Thank you Tommy for giving me some time to get some housework done! Love you!

Apple Orchard and more potty training....

We went to the apple orchard with some friends from mom's group last week. I just love how the kids love to play together! There weren't any apples left on the trees, but the orchard staff encouraged us to look on the ground and we found ALOT that just needed to be washed off! They sold them to us at a VERY good price. Logan stayed home for this trip, it was a mommy and Olivia trip!

(Thanks for the pics Christie!)

Onto the potty training issue, which is starting to consume me! Logan SERIOUSLY wants his diaper changed EVERY time he potties! But he still has no clue what the toilet is for.... I have let him run naked now and when he potties, he just moves on to a dry spot! ugh! I am documenting this because I KNOW that one day I will laugh. For now, I am too busy cleaning up pee!

Here is the source of my potty training frustration in a goldfish box. :) Love you silly boy!

When will I learn???

Olivia is very busy making her birthday party invitations (birthday not until November 21st)... everyday.... new invitations... along with daily updates in her journal, and a couple updated Christmas lists. You get the picture, we spend alot of time at the table with crayons and markers doing alot of very important work. Logan loves to join us and now really loves to color too! This morning I left the room leaving a seated Logan coloring quietly. Why on earth would I think he would stay there and color until I got back? When will I learn?

Here is the before.....

And the after..... That's right! MARKER tatoo!!!!

Sidenote: Mommy confession - I found a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in the fridge. Tommy must have brought it in from the car (he took Olivia to her FAVORITE place yesterday, you all know the place right?) There was only 1 left. Could I have split it for the kids? Yes. Could I have said "Look what daddy brought for you?" and watched the excited look on their faces? Yes. But instead, this mommy, who is honestly having a very rough week, decided to sneak off and enjoy it all to myself. It was the perfect pick-me-up at the end of a long week! I will take the kids for ice cream later.... this just became an expensive indulgence. (smile)

Pumpkin Patch

We made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch today! It was a BEAUTIFUL day and we tried to arrive early to avoid some of the crowd. The kids had a ball, we rode the little train, visited the little farm they have and walked through the pumpkin patch. Then Olivia led us on one of the trails around the pond and back to pick out apples (you don't pick them at this orchard). She also picked out a pumpkin, she and daddy are decorating it as we speak! (I can't wait to get a new camera, ours is soooo slow! By the time the camera is ready, the kids have moved on to something else!)

Forgot the camera... blogging blunder

On Saturday we took the kids to Turkey Run State Park, and I left the camera in the car while we hiked!!!! The kids had so much fun! they were so muddy but had a ball. The caverns are incredible!

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Here is our touchdown baby! I love getting pictures of the kids while they sleep, so peaceful.

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Olivia is dealing with alot of 3-year-old stress. She is VERY concerned about not being able to sleep on Christmas Eve night and is worried that Santa will skip our house. This has been a whole new thing for me, I didn't grow up with the Santa thing. But we decided to do it with the kids, but really emphasize Jesus' birthday as well. So there will be a cake, candles and the happy birthday song. Today Olivia wore her Santa dress, red velvet with white trim. Everyone at Target noticed that she was rushing the season....

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Finally, I am thinking I should be very embarrassed by this next picture, but instead I think it is funny. This basket is holding all of the toys that were under the living room furniture. That is so bad, that I am cracking up! How does it get like this? Why don't I care enough to clean them out more often? Funny.

Missing Daddy, She loves her room!

The kids sure missed daddy while he was gone this weekend!

Olivia wanted to make a movie to show the 8th outfit she had picked out today! Before we started filming we had this conversation:

Olivia: "I'm going to wear this now, is it poofy?"

Me: "YES! It is so pretty!"

Olivia: (silence)

Me: "Do you want it to be poofy?" thinking, did I answer wrong again?

Olivia: "What is poofy?"

Me: "that means your skirt sticks out"

Olivia: "Matter of fact, I was looking for a purple tank top"

MATTER OF FACT???? that is too cute!

(Dad and Kathy mentioned that she is using this phrase but I had not heard it until now!)

Face Painting?

Logan, Olivia, Daddy and my eyeliner: Another reminder

that Tommy is just a big kid!

Parents of Teenagers...

Working as a co-coordinator in the nursery-two's area at church grants me the wonderful opportunity to really get to know my volunteers (25 or so each Sunday). I spoke with some parents/volunteers this weekend about the differences between the toddler stage and the teen stage. Most of the differences are quite obvious, but one of the differences just stinks.


Right now Logan and Olivia need and WANT their mommy. Selfishly, I really want it to stay this way (the wanting part, I am really hoping Logan will be potty-trained someday (smile). Realistically, I know it may change. We are going to start praying now that God gives us the wisdom, as parents, to nourish a healthy but always SUPER-CLOSE relationship with our kids. I have read about the difference between a 4th grader and 5th grader. In 4th grade, your parents still know everything. In 5th grade you don't think your parents know anything. So while we really don't care if they think we know everything, we want to always have a really close - but we can give them the distance they need - relationship.

The verse that really gives me peace about all of this is (and I can't remember where it is, Isaiah I think?)

"Great is my children's peace, for they are taught of You (God)."

Daddy's on Vacation Day 1&2

We are really enjoying having daddy home with us! He is really helping me around the house and with the kids! We went to the pool yesterday and then just hung out at home. Today Olivia and I went to the park with Christie and Laurie! Fun, relaxing days!

Using daddy's leftover poster board to decorate a sign for Olivia's room!



Our Princess all ready for the park! She could not be convinced that her princess (nightgown/ballgown) dress would not be appropriate for climbing. So here is the park outfit #1



Outfit #2, at the park, when she realized that mom was right!

Maggie, Cameron and Olivia being monkeys!!

Loving Olivia's hair this way.

Many of you know that Olivia picks out her own clothes, that is just one of the battles that Tommy and I decided we would not choose to fight. This is VERY important to her and as long as she is clothed we let her express herself in this way. We step in occasionally when necessary, like the other day when she wanted to wear a sundress and bright red tights. Is it bad that I told her that people don't wear tights in the summer because you could get so hot and end up with a fever? Oh well, it stopped her from wearing them. As she walked in front of me at Target yesterday I just HAD to take a picture! The combination is so Olivia-like. Not matching in the least! One day if she becomes a fashion designer, we can say, it all started here!

I Just Want to Remember

Logan, I love to watch you play with your cars. You just love to watch the wheels turn. I love your snuggle-bunny jammies. (Yes, it is summer but daddy is part-Eskimo, :) ).

Olivia, you are my angel. I told myself I would ALWAYS remember how you looked as a baby, how it felt to hold you, we just stared at you for hours. Now here we are 3 1/2 years later and I have forgotten those days, and can only remember through pictures and video. Now we are so enjoying in our 3 1/2 year-old little girl. I just want to remember the
moments, when I look at you and promise myself that I will never forget this moment. This was one of them the other day, playing on the swing.

Weekend Recap

We didn't do much this weekend, just spent time at home. Tommy was off on Saturday! (Praise God he is done working every Saturday!!!!). Today was church, I worked all 3 services (nursery co-coordinator), Logan screamed for his daddy through the second half of the first service. Nice. I mentioned to him that daddy was coming to pick him up, won't make that mistake again! (But sooooo cute that he loves daddy that much!) Then we were off to Chelsea and Nolan's (cousins on Tommy's side) 5th birthday party, Happy Birthday kiddos!

Pictures of our nice weekend!

Feeding Logan "ICE CREEEEAAAMMMM" (Funny, those two words come out loud and clear.)

Olivia enjoying her ice cream. (If you ask her, SHE is the one who taught Logan to say ice cream.)

Olivia laughing at the Baby Looney Tunes movie, we found a great name for Logan! Baby Taz! Logan before haircut...
After haircut!


A few random sayings from the weekend:

Me: "Hmmm, our car is acting funny"
Olivia: "Is it jacked-up? That's what daddy says"
Nice.


Pulling into Sam's the other day...
Olivia: "I thought there would be none people here"
Me: "Oh sis, Gigi would just cringe to hear you say that! You mean to say, you didn't think anyone would be here."

While at church for SIX HOURS with me today...
Olivia: "Mommy, I am tired, I want to take a nap"
Me: "Quick! Does anyone have a tape recorder? I need to get that on tape!"
I know that will NEVER come out of her mouth again.

When we are all having fun, Olivia hates to stop to go potty. She must be afraid she will miss something, so she tries to get me to go with her to the bathroom, so today she tried this:
Olivia: "Mommy! don't you want to hear the sound my potty makes?"

Our Waterpark

Just Hanging Out/Making Memories

We have just been hanging out this week! Getting ready for a busy 4th of July weekend! Here are some pictures of our week!

Logan playing hide-and-seek
Daddy and Logan snuggling before work
Chillin'
Catching rays
CHEEESSEEE!

And this morning Olivia got her wish. Daddy took her to the gas station. Seriously, why do we pay for a museum membership when all she talks about is the gas station? Too funny!

I am sure we all have favorite memories that would surprise our parents. The childhood experiences we choose as favorite memories. Does it surprise you mom and dad that one of my favorite memories is going to Fork's County Line store? And that I can STILL smell the distinct aroma of Hardings? I loved sitting in the sanctuary of the old Brethren Church downtown Middlebury. I also loved going into the Varitey Store (used to be downtown, what is there now? That cute shop, can't remember the name...). Anyway, what memories did you choose as a child to store in your "favorite memory" file in your mind? Those of you from the Middlebury area, what specific memories do you have from our town? I LOVE living in the city but I also really love the peaceful feeling I have when we go back home to Middlebury. There is just such a neat small-town feel to our sweet hometown. Let's share memories today!!!

Weather-Watchers

Watching the rain is one of my FAVORITE things to do! I think the kids are going to love storms as much as I do. They were watching out of the window in our room and when Logan saw lightening, he would say "Uh, Oh!" It was fun to sit with them and watch the rain. I wish I could see inside their minds to see how they are processing things. I imagine that Logan thinks the rain is a big sprinkler.

Olivia informed Logan that he was NOT to push her because she did not want to fall out of the window. Which reminded me of the time she accidentally shut the front door when I was checking the mail and it locked! I had to break our bedroom window and crawl through. AND I was 8 months pregnant with Logan! Whew, I am done reliving that memory! Praise God for His hand of protection!

Back to the rain. Next to the incredible magnificence of the ocean, watching the rain makes me feel close to God, not sure what it is exactly, but I feel His presence so strongly. Perhaps it is the power behind the storms. It can be sunny and calm and then the clouds roll in along with the storm. It makes me realize how perfect God's plans are for us and when we seem to be going through a "storm" in life, He is promising sunshine on the other side. So I have become an unofficial "weather-watcher". Checking the radar often when storms are in the forecast.

Sleeping Beauties

Before...


After...

Our house was quiet (kids in bed) very early tonight. We spent the afternoon at the pool and it wore them out!