32

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Saturday was my 32nd birthday. I thought about giving you a list of "32 things on my 32nd birthday". But I did that two years ago. So instead, I used a little quiet time that my husband gave me on my birthday to finally finish my About Page and give this blog a little makeover for the final weeks of summer.

There are new books in the sidebar for me and the girls, and a link to take you directly to my Bushel and Peck posts on Momformation. And thank you to Cassi for featuring my "watercolor blobs" on The Crafty Crow last week. I feel honored to see that little badge in my sidebar because goodness knows I really wanted one! I took away the "good things" links, for now. I'll freshen them up a bit and bring them back shortly.

The About Page is inspired by a post where I asked you all to ask me anything. And boy did you ever! Obviously I couldn't (and didn't want to) answer all the questions, but I picked a few of my favorites and answered them as best I could. If my blog traffic takes a downward turn I'll know that I've either completely turned you off with my answers or I've told you everything and there's nothing new you could possibly learn from me at this point. Ha! Ha?

a birthday card from Mary

Sweet little Mary drew me this picture on my birthday. We sat together out in the yard, me reading a magazine, her drawing beside me. I'd say things to her like, "You forgot eyeballs!" Or "where are everyone's arms?" and she'd quickly add them in. Apparently this picture is all of us marching through the farmers' market.

It's funny when I look at this picture because I could probably pull an almost exact replica out of my stash of Emma's early work. And I have to confess, poor second child that she is, I haven't been saving much of Mary's work. I feel like I've had this pathetic (internal) "yeah, yeah, I've seen those kind of drawing before. I'll start saving them when they get better, kid!" kind of horrible attitude in my head.

But no more. I'm cherishing these sweet little drawings. Let the collection begin.

birthday present to myself
I have two things that I want to buy myself for my birthday. The first I got this morning--two sets of Moleskine journals--one set of thin notebook sized, the other a small pack of pocket-sized journals. In my old age, I find that I'm forgetting lots of things. I've always been a list-maker, a genetic trait I inherited from my mother. And I've been kind of ADD with my list notebook this year. I have about three going at the same time, I can usually only find one of them, which is the one I'm NOT looking for at the time. So I decided to consolidate into these moleskines, one-at-a-time.

The small journals are to stash in my back pocket. I've gotten in the habit of jotting down writing ideas or stories on scrap pieces of paper--a receipt, a piece of the girls' (probably Mary's) artwork that been tossed aside. And then, I lose them. Of course.

Or horror of horrors, send them down the library book return shoot. I had written a kind of personal, introspective note on a receipt, which I then tucked in the book I was reading and literally had to dive in after it up to my shoulder, as I saw the little tail of it slipping down the library book return. Phew.

So I think keeping my thoughts in my back pocket is a bit safer.

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She's one

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The pregnancy with Elizabeth was quite a roller coaster. Blood clots, painful shots, a single umbilical artery, potential birth defects, high risk doctors, multiple ultrasounds, multiple doctors, abnormal test results. It was a lesson in faith and Elizabeth a lesson in miracles--as she emerged into this world with a knotted umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. A little miracle.

With her in our arms, we thought all was good, the "issues" behind us until abnormal test results came again and again. More doctors, more tests. And more news--all tests were false. We were in the clear. One year later and you'd never know the road we traveled to get here had so many bumps, which in reality are dimples compared to the potholes that so many go through. God is good and faithful.

And here I sit, one year later, and I can hardly believe it's possible. One year?

In keeping with my birthday post traditions, a little list of what I love--and little Elizabeth Paige, gets an extra column--the things that make me crazy! (in the best way.)

What I love:

*we have a song. and it's the only one you want to hear me sing at bedtime
*you love to have your head rubbed, hair tucked behind your ears, cheeks stroked
*you stretch, hands over your head, legs stick-straight every morning when I lay you down on the changing table
*when the wind is blowing in your face, or the sun in your eyes, you snuggle your head into my chest
*you laugh like an owl hoots--a deep, happy laugh in your belly.
*when you see people you love, you get so excited a shiver runs through your body
*you call me, "mum-mum"

Reach

What drives me crazy (but I still kinda love) or You'd think by now I'd learn that:

*You pull off my glasses every time I sit you on my lap.
*You suck on the charred pieces of wood around the wood burning stove. It's organic, right? (I should probably clarify--the wood isn't hot. what kind of mother do you think I am??)
*You eat the soil out of the flower pots. also organic??
*You're obsessed with the toilet and darn if the girls don't forget to close the door when they leave the bathroom, let alone put down the lid.
*Every time I lay you down for a diaper change you flip over onto your tummy faster than lightning. You find it quite comical.
*Every morning, every morning, you know to go into the girls' room and pull down their glasses of water that are on the table between their beds--onto the floor, onto yourself.
*When I put a pile of Cheerios in front of you, you scatter them all around the floor and table with a few sweeps of your hands.
*You stand up on your tippy-toes, reach over your head and pull down all the neat, organized stacks of paper on my desk.
*You also sit quietly under my desk and empty the trash can onto the floor, piece by piece.
*I put your hat on, you take it off. I put your hat on, you take it off.

You have a sweet, gentle, content spirit that brings peace and joy to our home. I can't imagine our family without you.

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four

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Yesterday someone in our house turned four. It was a very big deal. I'm not sure I've seen her so tickled with life as she was yesterday. Did the smile ever leave her face? I don't think so.

I always get all weak in the knees on these birthdays. I want to stop time, forbid getting any older. And yet, I love seeing how they've changed and grown in just one more year's passing. I'm proud, sentimental, sad, full of joy and full of satisfaction.

So you're four miss mary and what can I say about you?

*you love cows. even though I know that you secretly love horses. but since your sister loves horses, you decided to start loving cows. Just to be different.

*every odd sound and gesture that Elizabeth makes--I owe all to you. And you're the reason that Elizabeth knows how to snap her fingers. Because every morning when the first coos come over the monitor, you race into her room, climb into her crib and entertain her for another fifteen minutes before I come in. She lights up for you.

*you are a snuggler. big time. i love that.

*two nights ago, when I put you to bed and told you I'd love you forever...you told me you wanted to die at the same time. so we could be in heaven together.

*you're tender. you still tell me that you have a broken heart over "spring", your kitten that was lost almost two years ago.

*you tell me that you love me at random moments in the day. I hope you never stop.

Happy birthday sweet little mary.
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"those hearts are nasty,

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They taste like chalk!" My children weren't big fans of the little message heart candy that they dribbled all over the "valentine's cake". I gave them free reign with the decorating of the cake. I frost it and set it down on the kitchen table and walk away. It's great. So when they started biting in to the hard little candies, they weren't so excited about their decorating choices. Now we have a valentine's cake covered in potholes where little fingers have gone around removing the 'nasty' candies.

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Another valentine gift that didn't go over so well was the gift I made for Dan. After seeing Blair's post, it was the push I needed to finally sit down and sew some of these rice bags that I've been meaning to make for quite some time.

I told Jennifer that I'd given up sewing for awhile, until life slowed down, but with some of her cute fabric staring at me, a little more time on my hands and some inspiration from Blair, I broke out (my friend's) sewing machine. (my machine is still out of commission...those darn knits!)

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I think the rice bags would have been a hit, had I not gone the extra mile and put a little handful of dried lavender inside each bag.  That was the spoiler. I was simply trying to avoid that cooked rice smell. But now, the lavender smell was overpowering to Dan, enough that it sent him to bed clutching his stomach. We slept with a window open, if that tells you anything about how strong he thought the smell was. And I swear, the smell wasn't that strong, it's just that I also made a bag for each of the girls, myself and a friend. So I guess that adds up to a lot of lavender. And a whole heck of a lot of rice.

But nevertheless, my girls came through. They love them. We heat them up every night before bed--3 minutes each in the microwave. And they head off to slumberland with toasty warm toes.

(I altered Blair's pattern a little bit--I made the bag out of muslin and then sewed a separate cover with ties at one end. I figured there would mostly likely be a need to wash them in the future, knowing my children...)

And now that I have my sewing machine out, the requests are flying in from my children. The latest (and one that's sounds do-able) is a sleep bonnet/cap like Mary and Laura Ingalls wear in Little House on the Prairie. I can't really find any kind of pattern anywhere. Have any of you made one? I'm thinking just a circle with some elastic sewn in? Is that right? Help?? Anyone?

happy weekend everyone....see you on monday.

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whoooo will be my valentine?

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The girls and I sat at the kitchen table this morning and made these valentine owls. I did all the cutting earlier from a pattern I sketched out a few days ago. See their heart shape faces? I'm hoping people will get that part of it. And their bodies are black--not very valentine-ish. But who knew my brand new pack of construction paper would have no brown?? If I'd thought of it before this very second, we would have done them on some brown craft paper instead.

So we delivered them door to door to a few special valentines in our valley--along with a few shy kisses and hugs.

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Mary painstakingly signed her name on a small square of paper that I cut out and glued to the back of each one. It was fascinating to watch her write out each letter--any direction, any place on the little small square of paper. I have to give it to her, she stuck it out for five whole valentines.

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We also got two lovely valentine gifts through the mail. Steph sent me (and the girls) this awesome print of her stitched art. Can you guess which person in our house claimed it as hers? Thank you so much Steph. I love having a little piece of your work to look at. You know I'm a big fan. (and check out what her husband did for valentine's day...)

And yesterday our miniswap package arrived in the mail. Wow, were we spoiled. I'll show pictures as soon as I gather it all up again from every corner of the house. Jesica, my girls are walking around with some pretty little felt bead bracelets today. They worked on them quietly and with such determination first thing this morning.

Happy Valentine's day everyone. Have something sweet. Do something sweet.

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