Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Jones

(John Denver is Jones' favorite music right now so here's a John Denver song for your enjoyment.)
This weekend me and the kids went down "south" and got to spend a time with the fam. Let me tell you why I like Jones. I can't stop laughing when I'm with him! If he's not saying something random and hilarious, he's running into corners or people or cupboards or completely biffing it and he doesn't slow down or cry a tear. He just keeps going. He is a rock. The last time I came down he hurt himself three times in the short amount of time I was with him at the playground. He fell down a step and hit his head hard (no bruising), knocked his head again on a rocking toy (bruise in the center of his forehead), and then, in slow motion, lost his balance and tipped forward onto the cement where is hands did not stop him and instead scraped the top of his forehead very slowly on the cement ground. He got a little sad finally and needed a little tylenol to help dull the pain in his head. Good thing he has bangs cause we took pictures of him the next day!
I know many of you hear Ryan and Jess' stories but they don't even do justice to the amount of shock and entertainment you receive from being with that little guy. My kids even get a kick out of him. He was yelling over and over at them as if they were doing something wrong and finally clued us in that he was playing a game! The kids had to keep apologizing and then Jones demanded that they go to time out. They giggled for quite a while.
He's so smart, too. He acts like he's so innocent and then he pulls a fast one on you. He loves Izzy and follows her, destroying whatever she's playing with, and they often fight over toys or personal space. Izzy did not want the dog (Lucy) outside but Jones did. Izzy would send Lucy in the house and shut the sliding door and then Jones would come and open the door and call Lucy back out. Izzy was getting very frustrated and we told Jones that Lucy needed to stay inside. He conceded and decided he didn't want to play outside anymore. Then, as soon as that door was opened for him to come back inside he yelled, "LUCY", as quick as he could! It was just a ploy! That little guy surprises everybody with what he knows. Ryan and Jessica got Jones a piggy bank and they told him it was so he could save all his money and he said,"It's like a little bank account!" What two year old knows about bank accounts!?
I need them to come visit me now. I'm always the accommodating one! "Oh, I'm deathly ill. Oh, I have a newborn." All excuses. Where's the giving in this relationship? I gotta get me more of that 2yr old. ( And India.) (And Ryan and Jessica.) Poor Tara. She only gets a sampling. I hope Jones likes her. (Kidding) Pretty soon we'll have more great 2yr old stories from Malak and India. I shall have few more of my own stories... 2 yr olds rock.

Disclaimer: Make no assumptions on the funniness of my own children. They are funny! They're just not 2 anymore!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Dressing Up!



Dress up clothes are great. Children pretend to be someone and use their imaginations. We have acquired a good amount of dress up clothes and it's paying off! Good 'ol grandma made Aiden a fireman costume two years ago. He's been a fire man two years in a row because he loves it. Guess what he wants to be this year? You guessed it. Good thing she made it big! Two years ago Emma was Cinderella. Last year she was Jasmine. This year she would like to be Cinderella or Jasmine! Very inexpensive. Two years ago Izzy was a ballerina, leg warmers and all. Last year not only was she a dinosaur but also a lion! This year she will be a ballerina but with a new costume... from our dress up clothes! Easy as pie! How long will this last? Maybe forever!

Friday, October 12, 2007

Ode to Annie

For those of you who have not heard, Aaron and Chelan's lab, Annie, was hit by a car this week and had to be put to sleep. May she be honored by these words.

Annie
Beauty
Harry
Cozy
Fun
Black
Loving
Good Dog

An Ode
She knew me and loved me
Sometimes she just peed
She barked at Paul Neilson
But never did breed

She loved going hiking
And swimming and fetching
As long as she drank water
There was little retching

Aaron complained about
wanting more dogs
Chelan said "no way"
More hair would just clog
(their vacuum)

But she came when he whistled
She was there in a jiffy
She was the perfect sized dog
And looked mighty spiffy

She traveled 'cross country
to remain with the fam
Her loyalty exceeded
the wishes of man

She layed next to Ella
And then next to Miles
She came when he called her
And it made him smile

Poor Annie went running
After one sweet lil kitty
and the site that occurred
did not look so pretty

We thank God for doggies
who make our lives good
And know he brings comfort
Just like he should

We'll always remember
that cute little dog
and remember the times
that we shared with her
Thanks, God!

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

"I gufaught!"

These words come out of the mouth of my daughter Izzy everyday.
"I keep gufaughting, Mom."
"Oops. I gufaught!"
"I gufaught. What's her name?"
She used to be able to say this word correctly and then one day she messed up.
I even tried to correct her and help her figure out how to say it right but she just couldn't.
And this is the time in a kids life when they are gaining so much new information and are figuring out how to tell stories and use long sentences with all the new words they learn. And sometimes... they just forget. How can one remember it all? It takes work! Sometimes you just gufaught! Over and over and over!
No more correcting. It doesn't help. We just enjoy this time when she gufaughts all the time and we try very hard to help her figure out what she has gufaughten!

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Tag?

Whatever! Here's eight things about me. (At least I don't have 100 things like my friend Ike. However, they were very interesting!)

1. I don't like running errands.
2. I never try different things on before I decide what to wear.
3. I use my bread machine at least twice a week.
4. I now realize the joy of having sun 90% of the year. I find joy in other things now...
5. I think I would read books on tape if I knew how to get an "in".
6. I overwhelm myself with a love of arts.
7. Candles keep me sane 1/2 the year.
8. I don't have one completed journal. But I do have many partial ones.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Prayer Request

This morning a family came to the church building. Their 16 month old child rolled over onto their 3 month old child and suffocated him. Along with the terrible grief they are experiencing they do not have a permanent residence. They have been spending today at CPS doing tests and questioning to make sure there was no neglect. They were probably only a few weeks from getting a place to live, the husband is working consistently and Ben said they're just good people. Because they don't have a home, their 16 month old will be taken away from them.

I am without words. I am grieving for them and seek your prayers on their behalf.