Sweet

We are making Chocolate Crepes and having a very messy evening while daddy is away at a church event.  They turned out pretty good.  I probably didn't need to make so many but it was yummy. 

Morning

That time when I have to drag myself out of my seriously warm and comfy bed.  Initially, I am not a morning person.  I do love sleep, but maybe I wouldn't have such a hard time if I went to bed a little earlier.  But my mornings are usually spent with Hermione.  She is the only one in school right now which means an earlier rise than her sisters and even her dad for the most part.  It has been a lot more pleasant since after Christmas break.  I don't know what changed but she stops being quite so grumpy and more ready for the day.  This particular morning was interesting to find 2 little ones in the same bed! 

What is in your bag?

Since mommy is a little embarrassed to show a picture of what is in her bag I decided to show Lucy's bag which is much cuter any way, but probably not as funny.  But I asked her, "What is in your bag?"  Her answer, "Stinky!"  To be fair, there are diapers in there and a package of wipes.  But it actually smells very nice.  In fact, when I pulled it out of the car baby powder dust filled the air.  I thought it smelled nice.  There is no special story about this bag.  I actually do not know where it came from.  But I don't like regular diaper bags.  I am not coordinated enough to take care of my bag AND a huge diaper bag so as soon as I could downsize as soon as I could.  It is so nice to have such a small bag because it doesn't get filled with random things.  Now I am reminding myself maybe I should just potty train her already.... :-P  Nope, not on top of things as much as I wish- it will happen, before she is 6- right? 

Close Up

My classic middle child- you are.  You woke me up at 4:15 am just so I would look for your slipper.  You were sobbing and I did not melt.  I put you to bed.  I told you to stop being selfish- like any 4 year old really understands that.  I was so tired but managed to make peanut butter brownies, a spinach salad, and roasted potatoes for the church's potluck before you woke up today.  I left the kitchen a disastrous mess so that you and your sisters could get some spiritual training  while I spent the whole of Sunday service trying to calm down your little sister who wanted another little girl's goldfish crackers.  I tried to watch you closely today.  I wanted to see who were and who you will become, but it was a church potluck day which means to you "I will play with my friends" day.  I am so glad to see you with your friends playing marbles, laughing when you are "surfing", and holding hands.  You are so smart and you would much rather play than eat, but like a good mom I try to get you to eat some more of your meatballs before you run back to your friends.  Since you disobeyed I told you that you could not have dessert and you happily said, "Okay!"  Did it back fire on me?  Maybe But I am no supermom.  I am just mom.  I want to help you grow.  I want to see you close up.  I want hug you and tell you that your blankie will be okay if it spends the day getting washed.  But you completely disagree with me and spend the entire time screaming.

After church we come home and mommy is desperate for a nap.  You and your older sister argue about whether you should watch Dora or Word World and all I want is quiet.  I thank God that all of you are quiet for a good hour and a half.  I might have missed some time to spend with you, but I promise I will be a much better mommy after I take a nap.  After too many movies and shows you say, "Peanut butter and honey sandwich for dinner please!?!"  Since Sundays daddy is at work that is fine with me because mommy was going to just drink a green smoothie for dinner and hope that will magically start her on the path to weight loss.  I hear you laugh and play.  I take your picture to capture a close up.  A close up of my daughter who is fun, impish, artistic, friendly and mostly easy going until you loose your favorite thing.

I am so privileged to see you close up- to see you every day and teach you preschool at home.  That is my favorite close up time with you.  I thank God for this time and can feel it quickly fading away.  God, You made me a mom and I have a special daughter that You see even closer than I do.  Please keep her safe and soften her heart to obedience.  She will one day not be so close up.  

Fight- Five Min. Friday

This New Year I definitely did not want to start off feeling so negative as the title makes me feel.  But fight is not all bad.  In fact when I see this I immediately think of my friend Miranda Chaney.  She is fighting like a girl.  She has fought hard all year.  She has been battling breast cancer.  She deserves the trophy for most amazingly beautiful gracious and courageous person I know.  I think so much about myself that it can be hard to write about others especially those who were just childhood friends, but, dear God, I am going to try this year to be less self centered.  I read her blog posts, I posted her updates, I prayed for her, yet I kept feeling I was just trying to get attention through her in some weird twisted way.  So as this New Year has begun and I have things slowly being checked off my to-do list let me make a goal- less about me, more about others.  Fight like a girl!  

These Happy Golden Years

 I was always a fan of the TV series Little House on the Prairie.  We would watch it nearly every day at 10 o'clock (in middle of the day!) because we were homeschooled- can we say this was our history lesson for the day?  Any way, I can't speak for my siblings but I loved that show.  But I never got past reading the first four books: Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, Farmer Boy, and On the Banks of Plum Creek.  So now as an adult I have picked them up again and this year these books have been a big chunk of my reading time.  I am currently reading These Happy Golden Years.  This book starts with Laura starting her first teaching term at the age of 15!!!  I keep thinking how weird that would be now.  I have just finished Chapter 30 Sunset on the Hill.  This was one funny chapter right after the devastating tornado chapter.

It was a very hot day so Ma, Carrie, and Grace stay home from church.  Laura, Mary, and Pa go to church.  Laura clearly doesn't enjoy the message.  She is easily distracted.  What do you know?  A kitten wanders in and hides under her hoop skirt to escape a dog.  Laura barely controls her laughter.  Mary hushes her.  Afterward when Laura must say goodbye to Mary, Mary asks her will she ever learn to behave in church.  Laura says she is a hopeless case.  This chapter has a bittersweet ending as the sisters depart.  They are growing up.  Things are changing.  Laura is getting married.  Mary is returning to college.  They know that childhood is truly ending.

What a beautiful relationship Laura and Mary have had!  It makes me pray all the harder for my daughters.  They don't need to be as close as these two, but I pray that they get a long better than I did with my own sister.  I pray that they will seek advice and comfort from each other rather than pulling each other down.  I pray they will build each other up.  I pray they will recognize the importance of family the way Laura did in this book. 

Lucy's Birthday

Christmas Kick Off over here- even a few snowflakes on my blog.  I am really going to miss the owls from Leelou Blogs but I don't have the funds for it at this time- but maybe later I can bring it back.  We will see. 

My baby turned 2 yesterday.  We were so excited to celebrate her birthday at our church's annual Christmas party this year, but alas it snowed.  Where we live, Aumsville, Oregon, it does not snow much so people don't know how to drive in it and/or their cars are not really prepared for it.  So the party was canceled.  We just had a quiet little family celebration.  Our neighbors- Kim and her son James came over.  Hermione was not feeling so good- stomach iffy and a small fever- so she couldn't even enjoy the cake.  Grandpa Jim and Kori stopped by with an awesome present.  It was quiet but gave us a wonderful excuse to clean up the house and put up the stockings. 

Happy Birthday to Lucy (our St. Nicholas Baby)!