"Who made it?"

This is the question Amelia asked as she tried on a new hat I bought today. "Ummm, looks like someone in Peru made it", I answered while thinking what a surprising question that was. Then I smiled as I thought about it and realized that so many things that are special to her were hand-made by people in our family. Their barn and several chairs and trucks and other toys were made by their Grandpa Jim, Grandma Shari embroidered a special pillow case for Amelia and shirt for Sam, she cuddles with a blanket made by her Mammy, her Auntie Tara has made them all kinds of goodness...the list goes on (but does not include their mama--boo!). Anyway, it makes me happy to think that in her mind, "things" are made by people she knows and loves. It's something I hope to keep as a reality as much as possible. Not only with "stuff", but with food as well. Because really, it's a question we should all ask, isn't it?
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For these three blessings...

and many others, I am truly, daily thankful. Happy Thanksgiving to you! Jen

Shhhhhh, don't tell Sammy...

but he is getting a train set from his great granny and papa for Christmas! Do you think he's gonna love it?

I can't get enough of that little voice saying, "Chugga Chugga Choo Choo!"
Jen

Mama said there'd be days like this...

It started with Sammy figuring out how to peel a banana, and peeling about eight of them and smushing them into carpet, hiding them, eating parts of them and leaving other parts elsewhere...all before mama and daddy even woke up!

Then nap time. Let me back up and say we are trying something new at nap and bedtime. No more rocking:( It was taking hours, Sammy started waiting until Amelia fell asleep and then wanting to be rocked but would not fall asleep...uggg. It was frustrating us all, and yet was so sweet at times and I already miss it:( So, I went Supernanny on Amelia last night and took her back to her bed about 50 times before she finally fell asleep around 11:30pm snuggled up next to Sam.

So, nap time today. At the end of two hours in their room, I thought they were so quiet they must have finally fallen asleep. Nope. They were playing with poop. I won't go into details, but it was not for the faint of heart. When I saw the crime scene I burst into tears. It was a bit melodramatic, but what can I say, I was really tired. I shoo them downstairs while I start cleaning their room.

They are really quiet for a while. I get scared. I go downstairs to find them COVERED in chocolate milk powder. It is all over the kitchen floor, cabinet, and themselves. Chocolate is smeared all over their faces. I laugh, because they do look really cute and guilty and what else can I do? Then I see Amelia's feet. They have poop all over them:( I took her upstairs and stripped her down and she immediatley peed on my sweater (that I had ripped off b/c my body heat went way up when I saw poop all over their room).

We get out of the house. We drive to the airport to watch the planes. We laugh and talk and start to feel better. We come home and I write this cathartic post while they stick sticky notes all over the fridge and color pumpkins with markers.

I look forward to an early bedtime so that I can work on a talk about hospitality I am supposed to give on Friday. Our house smells like cat food (?!) and poop and really doesn't feel like an inspiring place to think about hospitality, but beyond the smell there is laughter and there is forgiveness (on their end and mine) and there is hope for better days, and I think that is what home is all about.

Thanks for being a listening ear on this craaaazy day:) Jen

Though this picture is obviously "old", I feel exactly like this right now:)

Moments of wonder...

The other day it was snowing pretty heavily when Amelia came downstairs from her nap. She excitedly exclaimed about the snow and snuggled up next to me on the couch to watch it. I started singing a song and she asked me to sing a different song, "bout snow". All I could think of was "White Christmas" and so I started singing it. I looked over at her a minute later and she was looking up at me with the cutest expression of wonder I have ever seen. Her eyebrows were arched, her eyes were wide and she was trying not to show the smile waiting to burst forth. It was a look that said, " Why have I never heard this incredible song before?!" Even now, thinking back I get tears in my eyes. It was just so sweet and so magical, and it is those moments that make all of the mundane, frustrating, tedious moments (and there are many) of mothering fade away.

All for now,
Jen

Becoming a home...

Little by little, our new house is becoming our home. Ryhthems are being established, play spaces created, new friends made, old friends joining in. I still feel like there is a long way to go before it feels like our "nest", but I am trying to relax and create as I have the time, energy, and inspiration. Here are some pictures of a (unfinished) space I created during nap time...I think they approved:)





By the way, the dollhouse was supposed to be our Christmas present for Amelia, but it was found this morning (Merry Christmas in November, sweet girl!). I happened upon it at a children's consignment shop on Saturday and almost died. It is made by the same company (Elves and Angels) that created one of the barns Grandpa Jim based his design off of to make the babes' barn. The dollhouse was a fraction of the price that the company sells it for and came with tons of furniture. I felt like I had found a secret treasure. If they don't spend lots of time playing with it, I will.

We also opened up the dress-up suitcase yesterday. Amelia insisted on wearing her heels all day today:)


In fact, she wore them this morning as we walked to McDonalds to get "ice cream" (fruit and yogurt parfaits). While we were ordering Amelia said, "Melia would like live here." " Melia have fun live here." Hee hee. I couldn't believe it. It doesn't even have a playground and she doesn't know what Happy Meal toys are and so I don't know what she thinks would be so much fun about it:) She got several smiles as she click clacked around in her fancy heels!

One of the things I am working on is trying to create little times of individual nurturing for them. Sam's is walking to the train tracks every day and sitting next to each other talking about the trains. (Amelia is there, but not really into it:) She is quite the baker and I have been trying to bake with her when she wakes up from naps as Sam always sleeps longer.



So, slowly, slowly we settle in. There are good days and challenging ones, just like in every home I guess, but as we feel settled I feel our good days becoming more frequent and for that I am very, very thankful.

All for now,
Jen

He said, She said.

Sam: Look Mena, there's a plane.
Amelia: Where the plane?
S: I don't know plane is.
A: Where?
S: I don't know plane is Mena.
A: Where?
S: I don't know Mena. (This sequence times ten at least--finally they moved on:)
A: Where Becky? (We drove by friend's house and they weren't there)
S: I don't know Becky is, Mena. At gardens.
A: No, not at gardens.
S. In Texas.
A: No, not in Texas.
S: There a building.
A: That's true. There's a storm plane (?)
S: That's right Mena. There's a storm plane.
A: Where's God?
S: I don't know Mena. We're goin down, down, down (we were driving down a hill)
A: That's true Sambo.

Joel and I sat as quiet as little mice in the front seat just dying with how adorable their little conversation was and not wanting it to end. Their little voices, hearing them figure out how to construct sentences, their affirmations to each other....so precious.

Other funny conversations:
At breakfast:
Sam: This is old (granola).
Amelia: No, not old, just crunchy!
Sam: No, not crunchy. It's old.
Amelia: That's crazy!

In the car on the way to the "Forrest" (park w/ woods):
Sam: Sambo wants to go to the forrest. Sambo wants to go to the forrest. Sambo wants to go to the forrest. Sambo wants to go ....
Amelia: Alright, Alright!!

That's all I can think of for now. Just had to record these while they were fresh on my mind! Jen

A mama's thoughts as her children play...

I walked in their room the other night before story time and prayers to find Sammy, once again, heaping blankets and toys and dolls on top of Amelia while she quietly accepted his offerings. I can tell it is his way of saying that he loves her...giving her every good thing in the room--even his favorite blankets. As I sat in the rocker and watched them, it brought to my mind so many things. When Amelia would snub one of his gifts or snuggles, I thought of how heartbreaking it will be to see him snubbed in the future by girls or friends who he gives his heart to. I thought of Amelia and how she will probably get used to having an adoring brother who heaps praise on her (I know there will also be valleys where affection is not so apparent...we have them daily:) and how she will expect the winner of her affections to follow suit. I thought of Sammy's big, giving, sensitive heart and asked God to give Joel and I wisdom on how to guard and encourage that in him and yet also help him to be assertive when he needs to be (ahem, when Amelia falls to the floor in rejection b/c she wants something of his and he gives in immediately) . So many thoughts and hopes and prayers for these little ones are lifted up as I watch them play, as I rock them to sleep, as I cry tears of frustration when the days are long and my patience has faded. Grow us up Lord, together. Give us grace and wisdom each day.





All for now,
Jen

Halloween/Harvest Day 2009

For us it looked like a long afternoon walk with their daddy, then home to dress up as a beagle and a lion and wait for kids to come so we could give them treats! We did walk over to our next door neighbors to let them say "Trick or Treat please!" (that is what came out of Sammy's mouth--so cute!) . Seriously, they ate two pieces of candy from that house, a bag of fruit snacks from our loot and they were still wired! Ugggg, still not a big fan of Halloween, but they did look pretty cute:)

All for now, Jen

"They must be let alone, left to themselves a great deal, to take in what they can of the beauty of earth and heavens."

*Quote by Charlotte Mason

If you have read about Charlotte Mason and her philosophy, you know she is not advocating neglecting your kids, or even ignoring them. No, she advocates for giving them the freedom to explore, to observe, to learn, without a parent or teacher constantly butting in with our knowledge, our questions, etc. It's hard sometimes to be near them, but to be quiet. Dads seem to be more eqipped at this:) In fact, these pictures were taken by Joel on the babes afternoon walk. I asked him to take the camera with him to get some pictures of the new neighborhood (to share with you, of course:). He took the best photos, I can't wait to share them bit by bit. This one reminded me that though I fret sometimes that we can no longer reasonably walk to parks with ponds and geese and beautiful scenery, the babes find beauty to observe everywhere. They will stay like this on the sidewalk forever watching a little bug pass by, if I give them the time and space and freedom and don't try to rush them along to see what I think is a better view right up the way. That, I think, is a good lesson for us all:)

The first big snow...

Yesterday it snowed and snowed all morning long. It really was beautiful, and despite my ever-present dread of a long winter, we had a great first winter weather day. One thing that I think is going to make our days much, much easier is getting the babes snowsuits/coats/hats/gloves on. It was a breeze yesterday compared to last season! Amelia actually said, "Thank you mama" as I put on her coat. I almost fainted. I guess they can reason a bit more and know how cold it is without their gear on--thank you Lord and please let this continue!

Once we were outside Amelia was immediately trying to make snowmen, tracks in the snow, and snow angels.... everything the character in our book "Peter's snowy day" did:) She didn't whine or complain about the cold once. I think she is going to be a girl after her daddy's own heart. Sam was a trooper too, but did mind that his mittens kept falling off and that his face was cold. I know buddy, I know.

I am determined to take our morning and afternoon walks though, no matter the weather!! So, watch out winter--we will not be intimidated by you and your blustery ways!

All for now, Jen

Fall goodness...

I better hurry up and post my Fall recipes as it is quickly turning into winter here:)
I am going to be lazy and post a picture of the recipes out of my Simply in Season cookbook--hope you can read them okay.
This soup was super tasty, even though I accidently dumped like a gallon of pepper in it! The babes even like it!



We ate the soup with cornbread and then Shari made these pumpkin/squash bars for desert. She used about half pumpkin, half squash and they were soooooo delicious.


And a post wouldn't be complete without a picture of our little kitchen helpers:) This is from today when they helped made cookies. They were very proud.

Garden after dark...

I really am a girl after my mama's own heart. Halloween just is not a favorite holiday of mine. Ewwww. It all just gets so gory and gross. So, I wasn't sure about taking the babes to a Halloween celebration at Red Butte Garden, but the flyer said old fashioned and kid friendly and so we gave it a try. For the most part, it was sweet and fun though next year we will have to shield some eyes if we go again. Or maybe I'll have our own Harvest Party in the back yard with neighborhood kids. Whatever happened to bobbing for apples and making scarecrows? I did get a little teary at one point, holding hands with our little lion and seeing our little puppy holding hands with Joel. We have children! We get to make fun memories with them! I am so thankful.
I couldn't figure out how to work my camera w/ all of the lights, but here are a few shots that worked okay.





All for now. More Autumn recipes coming soon! Jen

Sammy's special day.

Trains are a big part of the babes life here at the new house. Both commuter and freight trains run along tracks just east of our house. Jim and Shari have been taking them to sit and watch the trains go by on most every morning walk. I think Sammy could sit there the whole day long. They both wave and wave at all the people as the commuter train passes and the conductor of the freight trains usually give them a big toooot tooot and wave now, it really is fun! When they hear the whistles blow during the day one of them will usually say, "What's that?! I heard a choo choo train!"
So, today was the big day. We told them that we were going to ride a choo choo train! I let Sammy watch Thomas the Train this morning (yawn--Amelia and I lost interest quickly:) and we talked about it during our morning walk. Joel came home from a conference and off we went. At first Sammy was stoic and quiet, soaking it all in I think...then we started to hear his "OHHHHH! and BIG CHOO CHOO TRAIN!!!!" and a quiet, "I love trains." Melt my heart little guy.
We stopped about 45 minutes later and walked through a new town, stopping in a train shop, letting them sit on statue horses (Sammy was cracking us up with this far off, happy look he got when he would sit on those big horses. He is such a dreamy guy:), and then playing at a park. Though I think he enjoyed the train thoroughly and Amelia was amused, they both screamed and squealed and giggled the most while running through the leaves and going down the slides together. Oh, the simple things:) It was a very special day for us all.

Saying goodbye.

My heart is hurting right now. We said goodbye to Dali and her sweet family today. I can't tell you how much we grew to love her over the past few months. Sam and Amelia connected with her deeply, and I really mean that. They would just melt into her and even when they couldn't be comforted by anyone else, Dali seemed to often quiet their spirits. Knowing that they will, Lord willing, have a brother from Ethiopia made the relationship even sweeter to me. She and her mom and her four kids will get on a bus Sunday and ride for two days to meet her husband in South Dakota where he got a job at a meat factory. It's hard to see them set off with basically nothing, into another unknown place while we live here in our nice, neat bubble of a world. Oh, I have a lot of thoughts and feelings swirling around. For now, I'll just share some pictures of our time with Dali, her cousin, and her two youngest at Wheeler Farm today.








I know Amelia will ask multiple times tomorrow, as she does every day, "Where's my Dali?" Boooooooooooooooooo hoooooooooooooooo. All for now, Jen

Things I am loving and things that I don't like at all.

Things I am loving:
1. Fall. Seriously in love with these perfect weather, changing leaves, lay on a blanket in the cool, sunshiney afternoons kinda days. It is the perfect season for our little explorers:


2. Being with family. Getting to know baby Isaac, having a bustling house with people coming and going, it has been wonderful. Crazy, but wonderful.

3. Having a bathroom in our room. I took a long shower this morning without toddlers peaking in or asking me for something or whining for my presence. I simply locked the bathroom door. Ahhhhh.

4. The babes expanding vocabularies. They were playing with worms (again) yesterday and Sammy said to Joel, "Look at my little buddy! He's my little buddy!" While hiking in the mountains the other day, Joel and Amelia were going up a pretty steep hill. He must have looked worried because she said, "I trust you daddy." WHat?!?!?!? I don't remember ever talking about trust other than singing "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus" but apparently she heard it and adopted it into her being. Sweetest thing ever. Other great phrases heard lately are, "What's happenin?" "What ya doin?" and many. many more.

5. The little park right down the street. It isn't big but it has plenty to occupy the babes for a long time and is literally a two minute walk. My friend Stephanie takes her little ones there almost every afternoon and we chat while pushing swings and kissing boo boos and laughing at antics. Living life along side others is essential for me I am finding. And so I am thankful to live right by a friend and right by a little park:)

6. Craigslist. I bought white, wooden indoor shutters for our living room, dining room, our bedroom and two hall windows for less that it would cost for ONE pair of shutters retail. So awesome!

Things I do not like at all.

1. Testing, testing, one two three. It seems the babes are testing every single limit and boundry they have ever known to make sure it still applies at the new house. It is hard to find the balance of grace and empathy (new house, family in town, etc. etc. ) while providing the structure and boundries that I know they are (literally) crying out for. God give us wisdom and strength!

2. Not being able to walk to the grocery store. I really do miss that.

3. We have fallen out of rhythem. Obviously I expected that the move would rattle our daily life for a while, but things still feel disoriented and I know the babes do as well. I am ready to find our new routine and dread that right when we do, it will be time for our winter trip to Texas. Ah well, such is life.

4. Our friend Dali is moving to South Dakota this week. Oh how I will miss her and her companionship and her love for the babes. She has taught me so much. She and her family (refugees from Eritrea/Ethiopia) have awakened my heart to the harsh reality that millions live in throughout the world. It was a painful but good awakening.

I guess that's all for now. Joelie and I are spending time out together today and we are ready to move on from the coffee shop to the outdoors. Hope you all are well, Jen