Why I Didn't Post a Picture of the Girls Modeling Their New Outfits

Sophia got her rainboots on and immediately ran outside to stomp in puddles, before I even got the camera out.

And this is Amelia modeling

this is what happened when I tried to get a picture of Porter - he leapt up on my bed and gave me this dumb look (yes, my bed is unmade, but I promise I really have been making it every day!! this was just right before that!)

So there is the reason it's just easier to lay things on a nice flat, still table and take pictures of them ;)

P.S.

As I re-read this post, I realized something about today that has left me crying and full of regret, and a vow to do better tomorrow...

I was so focused on trying to get a decent picture of Amelia's outfit, that I missed how stinkin' CUTE my little girl is, and how precious she was, trying to show off and look beautiful ("foo-full").

When we made pizzas for family night, I was trying to hurry things along so we'd have time for our art projects, and totally missed the point of it all - we weren't just making dinner as quickly as possible (like most nights), we were having fun making pizzas together. I missed that.

Then while I was getting their paints out, they decided to have a parade. I chuckled and snapped a picture, and then abruptly cut it short so that we could get on with The Plan. Good grief, am I dense or what?! I still didn't get it.

While they were painting I was so worried about wiping paint off the table (and the dog), when I should have been painting with them. Missed it again.

Amelia has been sick (and not sleeping) so I haven't had a moment alone with Davis since we got back into town... I was so ready to have them in bed and spend some time with him, that I was grumpy (as Sophia would say) during bath and bedtime. I hurried them off to bed as fast as I could. And now I miss them so much, it's all I can do to keep from going in and waking them up and begging for a do-over.

Please, Lord, help me remember to be here. I want a table covered in paint and rich memories of being here with my family!!!

Country Projects

Is it just me, or this always an incredibly busy time of year? It just seems like there is always something going on, and it gets a little hard to catch my breath (and blog!) I have a long to-do list for every single night after the girls go to bed this week.

Anyway, first of all I wanted to update about my friend Shannon's son, Sloan, for those praying for him (sweet baby got meningitis and encephalitis and was in the PICU last week). He lost all of his motor skills (he went from running around to not even being able to reach out and pick things up). I went to see him on Wednesday, and he is doing better, but it is so sad to watch and he and his family could still use lots of prayers! He is basically learning everything again - rolling over, holding his head up, etc.) and we pray that he regains all of his motor skills again and his brain damage is not permanent.

Baby Stellan still needs lots of prayers too!

We went to visit my in laws out in the country over the weekend, and it was a nice trip. The girls and I went antique mall shopping and I found some great things for our office/nursery/reading room (which we are re-doing and I will post LOTS of pictures of when we're done!)

My husband loves Coke, and I got this tray to put on top of his dresser (which is also in the office/nursery/reading room - it's a very multi-purpose room, and those of you with small old houses will relate to that!) for keys, his wallet, change, etc.

I got this pail for blocks

and this wire basket for board books

and I just liked this little box, though I'm not sure what will go in it yet

Baskets tend to get destroyed in our house, so I'm excited about the pail and wire basket - they are very sturdy! And I got everything for $39 - not bad, I think.

Oh and we have this memo board in the kitchen, but couldn't find a place to store the markers for it without the girls getting them (and drawing on everything in the house - including the dog!) so I picked up this old match box and hung it where they couldn't reach it and put the markers inside:

I did a ton of sewing too. I'll post the pictures of the crib bumper and pillows I made for the new room when we have the room done. I also started the girls' Easter dresses. One of the easiest projects were these outfits (I need take a picture with the girls wearing them, because they're pretty cute on, if I do say so myself)

It was a fun and productive weekend! Baby girl got sick, and like I said there is so much going on this week, so I'll have to catch up on all of my blogging later in the week.

When She Grows Up

It's been so hard to concentrate on anything the past few days - my mind and heart and prayers are just constantly with MckMama and baby Stellan, and as of yesterday also with my friend Shannon and her son Sloan, who is in the PICU at our children's hospital here with encephalitis and meningities and has lost most of his motor skills. Their stories have brought back all these memories of when my babies were very sick, and I pray that both of these mamas find the kind of comfort only God can provide at a time like this.

I haven't been sleeping much, partly because I literally wake up to pray without meaning to, and also because the girls have been diligently taking turns waking up, to ensure that there is no more than an hour stretch of uninterrupted sleep in our house.

We're getting ready to head off into the country tomorrow morning, to visit my in laws... that means no posts from me (I'll brave dial-up to check on Stellan, but that's about it!) BUT when I get back, I have a post-UBP post to post (ha!) I've met some great new bloggers out there, and it's been a blast!

Lately, Sophia has been focused on the distant future - her wedding cake (see preview below) and also career choices...

I remember when I was a girl, I wanted to be a teacher and a doctor and a ballerina, on the side. I wanted to be a wife and mother too. Apparently when you're five or six years old, you're not intimidated by the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day... I had it all planned out - I would go to school and teach in the morning, then I would go to my doctor's office and take care of patients in the afternoon, and once or twice a month I could give a ballet recital on the weekend.

Some of you who know me IRL have heard this crushing story of the first time Sophia and I discussed what she would be (driving to gymnastics one afternoon):

Sophia: I see the moon! Can you touch the moon?
Me: Well, no, it's really far away, in space. Astronauts can get to the moon in a space ship. So if they fly to the moon, they can touch it, but we can't.
Sophia: I want to go to the moon.
Me: Well, when you grow up, if you want, you could be an astronaut for your job, then you could fly in space ships.
Sophia: Yeah... then I could have my own children, so I could leave them at home while I go work on the moon.

Ouch! That stung.

By the way, I would love nothing more than for her to be a stay at home mom, and I've always included that on my list of potential careers when she asks. I think it's the most important job in the world, and I hope some day (when student loans and medical bills are paid off) I might get the privilege to do it part-time :)

Anyway, yesterday we were in the car and Sophia asked me what kind of job she could have when she grows up. I asked her what kind of job she wanted.

First she told me that she wants to be a mailman, because then she could go to all of her friends' houses to deliver letters. And she could travel all over the world, delivering mail to people wherever letters were being sent.

I told her that sounded like a great plan.

Then she told me she also wanted to be a doctor, so she could take care of people. She really wanted to be a doctor like Dr. Johnson (her awesome pediatrician and a worthy role model!) Except she would never give shots.

I told her that sounded like a great plan too.

Then she asked me if maybe she could be a mailman AND a doctor, and I told her of course!

As much as I hate the thought of her getting even a day older, sometimes I love to daydream about what life has in store for her.

I do hope she follows her artistic tendencies at least on some level... she is, in my humble maternal opinion, as awesome artist. Plus she loves her "projects" more than anything, and whatever she does in life, I hope it's something that brings her joy.

making valentines puzzles for her class

Stellan Monday

I am sure y'all already know this, but in case you don't, a very sweet and dear family needs our prayers tonight: http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ (MckMama is the host of Not Me Monday)

Baby Stellan is having scary heart problems and is in the PICU, and he and his family (especially his mama, who I know is weary) need all of our prayers right now!

Marriage, or, Why You Should Argue in Front of the Kids

I want to start off by saying this post is just my opinion... I know all of my posts are just my opinion, but this one in particular is not based on scripture, on any books I've read, or any great wisdom I've gleaned from another source, it's just what I think. It's also pretty personal, but I feel compelled to write it.

I want to start by saying that I LOVE my husband. I have spend more than a third of my life with him, and he is my rock. For all of its ups and downs and in-betweens, I truly believe that I have a fabulous marriage.

My parents never fought in front of my brother and me. Not once. I found out later that they never fought, period. Then, when I was eleven years old, my dad moved to another state and they got divorced. Sound sudden and a little surprising? It was. Apparently there were irreconcilable differences.

Now I'm not saying you should fight in front of your kids so that when you get divorced they won't be shocked. But I am going to make a case for arguing, and even arguing in front of your children. Please hear me out (or don't, if you don't want - that's the cool thing about blogs).

The end of our first year of marriage was very difficult, and I've discovered that it is for a lot of couples, and I have a theory about why. When you're dating, you try really hard to keep the relationship alive, because you know that if you don't, you'll break up. You also discuss and argue over differences, because you want to make sure your partner knows what's bothering you. You're laying down the ground-rules for them inhabiting a spot in your heart. Well, the day you get married, you get handed this piece of paper that says you can't break up now. And you think phew! After that, you (completely subconsciously) stop trying as hard. You don't try as hard to keep the relationship alive, because you know it can't die. You also stop discussing your differences, because you figure it doesn't matter - I mean, I'm not going to divorce him over the whole sock-on-the-floor issue, so why bring it up? We happily skated along like that our whole first year of marriage, and then suddenly, everything seemed to crash down. After just one year, we were developing "differences" (I imagine after 14 years, like with my parents, they may have become "irreconcilable"), we had "drifted apart" and "changed."

When I listen to friends of mine justify divorce, I am always dumbfounded by a few phrases that I hear over and over again...

He/she changed
Thank God (no really, I thank Him) I am a different person than I was when I was twenty-one! Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone stayed exactly the same after their wedding day? If you and your spouse don't make a point of connecting in a meaningful way every little life-changing step of the way, how will your marriage survive something hugely life-changing? We're not supposed to stay the same. We grow, we realize we've made mistakes, we change. Just don't forget to take your spouse along for the ride. Remember the whole co-sleeping thing? I can't tell you how many arguments we've had, because I was adamant about keeping our bed just for us and not letting the kids in. Well I changed my mind. I'm not the same person I was two weeks ago.

We drifted apart
The whole point of marriage is to stay tethered together. You only drift if you allow yourself to drift.

There were irreconcilable differences
Here's really where the whole point of this post comes in... how "irreconcilable" are those differences if you've never tried to reconcile them? Hashing out your differences - big and small - is vital for maintaining that meaningful connection. If you bottle up the small things that bother you, resentment will build and grow into something much harder to manage. We all have our differences. It drives me crazy that my husband sucks at doing anything special for my birthday, or even remembering it! But you know what? If I trade him in for another guy who is really super great at birthday gifts, THAT guy will have faults too and we'll have our differences too. Two people together will always have differences, and if you trade in one marriage for another, you're just trading in one set of differences for another. Which brings me to another reason arguing is good...

Infidelity
My husband and I have dealt with infidelity on both sides before we were married, so I speak from experience. Please don't skip this paragraph because you are immune from the effects of infidelity - we must always guard against it, because when we let our guard down, we are most vulnerable to it. Even though with all of my heart I am determined to stay faithful to my husband, even though I know this is important enough to God that it is a Commandment, I know that temptation can creep in when we are not vigilant.

When you are not hashing things out with your spouse, when you've let small things turn into big resentment, you are opening a door to infidelity. Almost all affairs I have witnessed have started this way - a spouse is unhappy with his or her partner, and slowly they begin to discuss their grievances not with their spouse but with someone else. A coworker, a friend, a neighbor, a stranger. But instead of being productive, these discussions just help to reaffirm the resentment, and the person gets validation from this other person. You know where it goes from there. The point is, it could have been avoided if instead of confiding in another person, the unfaithful spouse had confided in his or her spouse. And by confide I do mean oh-my-gosh-you-are-absolutely-driving-me-to-the-edge-of-insanity!

Now, about the children... I cannot tell you how often I hear people tell me they would never argue in front of their children, like this is the new Golden Rule. Well, let me go completely against the grain and tell you - we argue in front of our children.

I think we do our children a disservice if we lead them to believe that marriage is easy, that when you marry the perfect person there are no disagreements. Despite the staggering divorce rate, I still encounter so many young people (okay I can't say that... I'm not old!) who still believe that when they marry their soul mate everything will be perfect forever and there will be no fights. Then when reality hits, they assume they married the wrong person and get divorced. No, marriage is hard work. Sometimes, it sucks. Sometimes, you just stay together to stay together and "ride it out" for a few days, weeks, months, until the storm passes. But for every obstacle you overcome, your marriage becomes stronger.

Arguing in front of your children shows them what a real marriage is like. And in the process, it can teach them a few other lessons.

I see disagreements between us as spiritual exercise. Both for me as a person, but also as a model for my children, learning to argue meaningfully and respectfully stretches and builds up a few character traits I need to exercise regularly. Honesty is so important to me (did you know Vera means "truth?") I believe honesty is a cornerstone of a good marriage, and is vital if differences are to be worked out. Certain behaviors - like name calling - are completely unproductive and should be banned (in front of the children or not). Let this be a lesson in self control. A huge part of productive arguing is listening, and acknowledging when you're wrong. By nature I'm horrible at this, but I use my marriage as a daily test to help me be more humble. Forgive and be compassionate.

Sometimes, my husband and I will argue over something with the children near. I might tell Sophia afterwards "I'm frustrated with Daddy right now, but you know I love him so much!" and a little while later she will witness that love when we kiss and make up. We apologize and come to some understanding. We do an extra kind thing for each other. We stay together.

I promise my kids are not going to grow up saying "my parents were at each other's throats all. the. time." But neither will they grow up thinking that our marriage was "perfect" in the sense that it was easy or we were somehow so compatible that we had no differences.

My husband and I have differences. If we don't try to reconcile those differences constantly, they will feel irreconcilable. We are two people, and therefore by nature will drift apart when we do not make an effort to stay together. We are changing every day. I am not the same person he married, and he is not the same person I married. Hopefully in a few years we won't be the same people we are today.

I leave you with this conversation between one of my best friends, A, and her former student, S, who was three years old:

A: are you okay? You look tired.
S: No, I couldn't sleep. My parents were yelling at each other all night long.
A: Oh, I'm sorry.
S: Yeah, Mommy was sitting at the computer. And then Daddy went and got her wallet, and he got out all of her baseball cards and cut them up with scissors.

Cake Part I

I've had several comments about Amelia's castle birthday cake, so I've decided to do a tutorial to show you how to make it - it's really not difficult at all!

But because I don't have the time or ingredients to make it this weekend, I'll just start off talking about cakes in general today and then come back and do a detailed (with pictures) tutorial about assembling the castle (I think I'll make a boy one to show that it can be great for either!) at a later date (soon I promise!)

Plus, Sophia wanted a cake today... she's all about getting married these days (watching Mommy's princess movie aka our wedding video, getting dressed up to get married to Daddy, etc.) so we decided to make her a wedding cake - she did most of the decorating, so this is proof that cake decorating is not that hard :)

So, you'll notice I have a great homemade frosting recipe below, but not a cake recipe...well, that's because I use boxed cake mix! I have a few random talents* but I also acknowledge when I am NOT great at something. I can make a good coffee cake and German chocolate cake, but NOT a great white cake - the boxed mix always turns out better.

YUM!

But there ARE some things you can do to make a perfect boxed cake, so here are my tips for the perfect cake. Bake the cake according to the box instructions, but also

• Line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper (place the pan on the paper and trace and cut out to fit). If you don't have parchment paper, grease the pan and then put a little bit of the dry cake mix and sift it on the pan.


• Be sure to pour the batter into the pan immediately after you're done beating it, and then stick it into the oven immediately. Don't let it sit in the bowl or pan.


• Do not over-cook the cake - as soon as a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out dry, take the cake out.


• Let the cake cool in the pan for a couple of minutes before transferring onto cooling rack.


• When the cake is cool, trim it. I don't have a lazy susan for this, I just place the cake on the cake stand and rotate the cake stand with one hand while using a large serated knife to cut the top of the cake level.


• Crumb coat the cake. You can either use some thinned out frosting and apply a very thin layer to create a crumb coat or make a glaze by heating up jam and brushing it on with a pastry brush. This step is crucial, because it keeps crumbs out of your frosting and seals in the moisture of the cake!


• Then refigerate the cake for a couple of hours before decorating.


• To decorate, pipe the frosting over the entire cake, then use a decorating spatula to smooth the frosting. Dip the spatula into hot water and pat dry between strokes. If you don't have one, you can use the back (flat part) of a knife.


• Another method for smoothing a cake, if you're using a frosting that crusts (NOT buttercream), is to first smooth it using the method above and then, once a crust has formed, place a sheet of wax paper or paper towel on the cake and use your hand to smooth it even more by rubbing with your palm flat using circular motion.


• Now you can add whatever decorations you'd like on top. Another trick I've learned, to fill a pastry bag - place it into a drinking glass and folding the edges over the sides of the glass, then using a spoon to fill the bag.

Three year old's wedding cake, decorated by the bride herself:

By the way, for frosting mini cupcakes the best tool is your fingers - just smooth the frosting on with your (clean!) fingertips.

*I'm also thinking of doing a tutorial for the jumper Amelia is wearing in the picture with the castle cake - I made it reversible, so that she could wear the "1" side on her birthday and the floral side the rest of the year. It was fun to make. One thing you'll learn about me and sewing is that I generally don't use patterns... I just tend to pick easy projects and then - sometimes using ideas from several patterns - come up with something that works. So we'll see if I can recreate this one! I also do things like use Target sheet sets to create baby clothes (recognize that Simply Shabby Chic seet set?) - I am from Austria, so how very Sound of Music of me, huh?

TGIF For Sure

It's been quite an exhausting week, mostly because I was super busy at work, but also because I'm suffering from insomnia and got maybe eight hours of sleep - all week.

Oh well, today made up for it! I had to be at work at 6:30 this morning for a presentation (which I don't even remember giving now, because I only got four hours of sleep last night) but then I also got to come home at 3:00pm and one of my very best friends (and maid of honor) was in town and came to visit with her new baby boy - he was a big ball of chub and oh so cuddly ♥ After they left, hubby and kids and I went to the park to enjoy the gorgeous weather. And for the past hour, since the kids went to bed, I've been partying at The Ultimate Blog Party and having the best time getting to know so many cool ladies out there in Blogland! It was enough to make me forget the whole week!

Anyway, I wanted to share a few random things...

First, check out the PERFECT piece of art I got for our bathroom:

how lucky am I to have an artist in the family? I had been scouring Etsy and everywhere else for a picture to go on that wall - when Sophia presented me with this work of art, I knew it would be just PERFECT!

Second, here's one of my all time favorite recipes. You know the kind that you just keep in the rotation? This is just a great weeknight meal, and my whole family loves it.

Vietnamese Fried Rice

2 bunches scallions

3large carrots

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

2 large eggs

2 T. Asian fish sauce

1 1/2 T. rice vinegar (if you're lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe's, they have the BEST)

2 T. sugar

5 cups chilled cooked white rice

2 1/2 T. safflower oil

2 T. minced garlic

1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts

Finely chop scallions and coarsly shred carrots.

Rinse bean sprouts and trim stringy roots.

In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs.

In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, rice vinegar and sugar.

Spread rice in a shallow dish and separate grains with a fork.

In a deep heavy skillet or wok, heat oil over medium high heat until hot and stir fry eggs until scrambled (about 30 seconds).

Add scallions, garlic and pepper flakes, and stir fry until fragrant (about 15 seconds).

Add carrots and bean sprouts and stir fry until carrots begin to soften (about 1 minute).

Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through (about 2-3 minutes).

Stir seasoning liquid and add to fried rice, tossing to coat.

Serve sprinkled with cilantro and peanuts.

*

Third, I wanted to tell you about ANOTHER baby at our house... Porter the Wonder Dog! We got him for Christmas, and I've been meaning to post about him, because he's just an awesome pup. We lost both of our sweet dogs last year, and were really missing having a furry rambunctious creature in the house - yeah, we're dog people!

So, here's Porter at Christmas, right after we got him:

And here's what he's been up to since then:

He's gotten even bigger since those pictures, and after his bath tonight I'll have to take some new pictures. I've been working with him since we got him, but we started formal obedience classes this week, and he did great! He's such a smarty - he already knows sit, down, stay, watch me, leave it, and occassionally come.

Was that total Porter picture overload or what?? He's just so cute, I can't help it! Oh and we have NO clue what breeds he is - he's just an all-American animal shelter rescue cutie pie puppy dog :)

Par-tay :-)

I'm SO excited, this is the first non-kid-birthday party I've attended in a long while (is that sad? nah, I love kids' parties!)... and like so many of my friendships these days, it's online! If you haven't already, head on over to The Ultimate Blog Party 2009 at 5 Minutes for Mom to join the fun.

Welcome to my little home on the web! My name is Vera, and I am so glad you're here. I started this blog about a year ago when I felt called to share the ways in which the Lord has blessed my life. If you want to know what my life is really like, click on the Not Me Monday label on the sidebar ;)

I am a Christian, wife of eight years to my awesome stay-at-home-daddy hubby, working mommy (attorney), transplanted Southern girl (from Austria), and mostly just...immeasurably blessed.

Because I'm in the midst of mommyhood, most of my posts have something to do with my two daughters, Sophia who is three and a half, and Amelia who just turned two.

They are my daily reminders to live in the moment, laugh often, and savor the small joys in life. Sophia was born with a medical condition that has required several (six total) surgeries so far. She is doing great. Although this will always be some part of her life, we are so grateful for the health she has today and for the lessons we have learned along this journey.

Amelia had some health issues herself when she was a newborn and spent a tense week in the hospital after she stopped breathing at four days old (she would stop breathing whenever she ate and her oxygen levels would plummet), but was completely healed "without explanation" or a diagnosis (I wonder Who had something to do with this) and is a perfectly healthy and perfectly TWO two-year old.

Over the past year, my husband and I have endured the trials of infertility due to polycystic ovary disease (which was easily treated before when we got pregnant with the girls, but has not responded to medication this time around) and two miscarriages. Faithful as always, God not only brought me out of the darkness that followed my second miscarriage, but opened a door for us that was completely unexpected - foster parenting. We're still in the early stages of the process, but excited about what might be in store for us.

So, enough about me already... please leave a comment and say hi so I can go visit your blog and learn more about you!!!

Let's party!

In honor of this party, here are some recipes for my favorite party sweets... I'm pretty good at feeding my family healthy foods, but party food is party food, and dessert is dessert, so these would NOT fall into the "healthy" category! If you'd like healthy recipes, check back another day ;)

Toffee Dip with Apples

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup toffee pieces (such as Heath)
1 cup pineapple juice
Apple slices (granny smith are my fav with this!)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl and beat at medium speed until smooth.
Add toffee bits and mix well.
Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Combine juice and apples in a bowl an toss well.
Drain apples and serve with dip.

Buttercream Icing for Cakes and Cupcakes

1/3 cup shortening, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoons almond extract
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
paste food coloring (as needed)

In a large bowl beat together the shortening and butter with whipping cream, salt and vanilla until smooth (about 3 minutes).
Add in confectioners sugar slowly and beat very well until smooth and fluffy (about 5 minutes), adding more confectioners sugar or cream or milk until you achieve desired consistency.
Add in the food coloring (if using) until the desired shade is achieved. I usually dip a toothpick into the paste food coloring to get out just a tiny bit at a time and stir it into the frosting - a little goes a long way!

Royal Icing for Cookies and Gingerbread Houses

3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 (16 ounce) package confectioner's sugar
paste food coloring (as needed)

Beat together egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl until frothy.
Add confectioner's sugar and beat 5-7 minutes at high speed, until mixture is stiff and holds a peak.
Add food coloring as needed.

If you're decorating things with kids, one of my favorite tools are these decorating bottles from Pampered Chef - VERY handy to fill with different colors of icing!

Tea Cakes

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 box white cake mix

confectioners' sugar

Cream together cream cheese and butter.

Add egg and vanilla and mix.

Add cake mix at mix until well blended.

Dust your hands in confectioners' sugar, roll dough into 1 inch balls, then roll in confectioner's sugar. Bake cookies on greased cookie sheet for 12-13 minutes.

Wait a minute or two before removing cookies to cooling racks (this is a theoretical step - in our house they are instantly devoured by mysterious sugar-deprived monsters).

If you've got baby bookworms like I do, I'd just LOVE it if you'd share some of your favorite children's books - if you do a post on your blog about it, please come back leave a comment on this post. We're always in search of great new reads around here!

I'm SO glad you stopped in! If we've met before, it's so nice to see you again! If this is your first time here, I'm excited to meet you!

Click here to see my latest post.

♥

Oh! Apparently following directions isn't one of my talents at midnight... If I want to win prizes, I need to list my preferences - and who doesn't want to win prizes?! They have some GREAT ones at the UBP, so if you still haven't checked it out, head on over there! So, here are some that I would just love, although I'd really be happy with anything :)

58 – Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand MixerProvided by: Moms Who Think (because mine broke and I cried and cried!)

15 — a pair of ChicBud Earphone58 with Swarovski CrystalsProvided by: The IE Mommy (since my kids broke my non-chic earbuds, and I've been longing for my iPod ever since!)

19 — $50 gift certificate to Target StoresProvided by: Shoot-Me-Now (or any of the other Target cards...c'mon that HAS TO be on everyone's top three list, who doesn't love Target?!)

49 – Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook: Budget Friendly Meals Your Whole Family Will LoveProvided by: Pudget: Losing Weight On A Budget (because I need it!)

79 – $30 gift certificate to Cute Clips & MoreProvided by: Cute Clips & More (SO cute!)

Knock Knock

Who's there?
Chicken
{hysterical laughter}

That was the first of hundreds of knock knock jokes Sophia made up. Sometimes she tells real ones, like

Knock knock?
Who's there?
Doris
Doris who?
Doris shut, that's why I'm knocking

Sometimes it's a hybrid like

Knock knock?
Who's there?
Banana
Banana who?
Banana why are you knocking

And sometimes she just speaks in knock knock joke

Knock knock
Who's there?
I'm still hungry
I'm still hungry who?
I'm still hungry and I'd like more noodles

But for some reason, the one that makes us all laugh is that interrupted chicken one. Sometimes just the word chicken will send us into a fit of giggles.

So we went to Barnes and Noble to get a book of Knock Knock Jokes, which reminded me that I wanted to share some of our favorite children's books (I know Lynnette posted about doing this too - I can't wait to see hers!)

We love books around here.

(scroll down to mute the music)


So, in no particular order, here is a list of some of our current favorites. There are so many, I think I might do this post in parts and continue with the list another day. And remember, these are for the 0-3 age bracket, although I know (hope!) many of these will be loved for years to come...

Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman
One Monday Morning by Uri Shulevitz
Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola
The Childrens Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
The Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch
We All Went on Safari by Laurie Krebs
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Noisy Farm board book
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See and Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear by Eric Carle
Moo Baa La La La and Hippos Go Berserk by Sandra Boynton
The Foot Book and I Am Not Going to Get up Today and Put Me in the Zoo (obviously) by Dr. Seuss
Angels Watching Over Me by Julia Durango
Bean Soup by Sarah Hines-Stephens
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laurie Joffe
Love Song for a Baby by Marion Dane Bauer
Who Was Born This Special Day? by Eve Bunting
My New Baby by Annie Kubler
Skippjon Jones by Jdy Schachner
My Book of Thanks by B.G. Hennessy
Kiss Kiss by Margaret Wild
First Book of Sushi by Amy Wilson Sanger
All Things Bright and Beautiful by Cecil Frances Alexander
Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
Dogfish by Gillian Shields
The Little Red Caboose by Marian Potter
Seven Little Postmen by Margaret Wise Brown
The Legend of the Three Trees board book
1001 Things to Spot on the Farm by Gillian Doherty

Yes, this is getting long... to be continued...

P.S.
Tonight I'm really glad that my blog really is really only read by tens of people every day - it took me several tries to get that video in this post!

P.P.S.
I really want to know ALL of y'all's (yes, I said all y'all) favorite children's books! If you write about it, come back and leave a link to your post in the comments!!!!

A Pliable Heart

I am SHAKING. Literally my fingers won't stop shaking and I keep looking around at trash cans just in case I need to suddenly throw up.

Tonight we went to the "informational meeting" for becoming foster parents. We are going through a church-based organization, which coordinates everything and provides an awesome supportive environment for foster parents. Our goal tonight was really just to check it out, ask some questions, and see where things go from here.

The meeting was SO emotional. I'm sure I looked like I was having seizures, I was batting my eyes so much trying not to just bawl. The song "You Raise Me Up" kept playing. Everywhere I turned, I kept hearing the call - and literally there were times when I was looking AWAY, thinking we can't possibly do this, but then there would be another sign. Pay attention, Vera, GO. Don't follow your heart but lead it.

At the end, they told us if we felt led to take the next step, to raise our hands and they would bring us a packet of paperwork to fill out. I breathed a sigh of relief, because I knew my sensible husband would tell me that we needed to go home and discuss things and then fill out the paperwork at some later date. I needed a breather. I turned to look at him and immediately he told me to raise my hand.

I knew I couldn't wrap my head around WHY God was choosing this for our family, and I couldn't possibly think through everything right then, but I just kept hearing Proverbs 3:5 (Karla your tweet was SO timely too!) and deciding to take one small faithful step at a time. Before I knew it, we had filled out all the paperwork (there was a LOT) and been fingerprinted. They had copies of our driver's licenses, and our packets were complete. Just like that.

We have no committed to anything, and even after we are licensed we will always get to choose whether to take a child in... but the reason I'm shaking and queasy is that I have a pretty strong feeling that this is leading somewhere. Somewhere huge.

I had a friend a long time ago, whose theory was that when you have a deja vu moment, something important is happening, because it was so preordained that it's already familiar to you. Well tonight everyone in that room - the lady from DHS, the woman who is the head of the organization, the man from the church where the meeting was, several of the other families there - looked so familiar. I mean really, really familiar. I kept thinking all evening where do I know her from? where do I know him from? who is that? When I realized that almost everyone in that room looked familiar, I knew it wasn't that I knew these people from my past. It's that I know they are part of a really important part of my future.

As I said in a past post, I really truly have no idea where this is going. This is so far from any "plans" I have ever had for my life that I am purely in a following mode right now. I am walking by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Right now I have just one thing to say: AAAAAAAAAAAAAK!!!!!

But I can feel peace and excitement right around the corner :)

Not Me Monday

It's that time again... time for confession MckMama style. Head on over to her blog to check out all the fun!

Luckily, I have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to confess...

Because I did not give Sophia a bowl of warm vinegar water and a washcloth and "let" her wash the kitchen cabinets and appliances. But if I had, I would totally tell y'all that they are very nice and shiny looking now, and this is an excellent trick.

I did not get completely flabbergasted at my husband for being such a man, when his truck broke down and he spent five (5!) hours on the side of the road pretending to be a mechanic before finally calling roadside assistance.

I did not sneak off to the office (I live half a mile from work) Sunday night after everyone was in bed to "work" and end up just blogging and enjoying complete silence.

I did not read way too many blogs requiring prayers last night, causing me to literally lie awake ALL. NIGHT. LONG. If I had, I'm sure an entire night filled with prayers and reading the Bible would leave me refreshed, so...

I did not require three cups of coffee just to get up the nerve to open my email and check my voicemail at work this morning.

I did not take this funny picture of my darling daughter napping in her Sunday dress with her diaper showing, on a pile of random blankets and an arm over her head like puleeease stop snapping pictures of my poor sleeping self!

Nope, not me!

Our Weekend

I love weekends! It's my two days a week of getting to pretend to be a stay at home mom, and I'm just in heaven every Saturday and Sunday.

Yesterday I mostly cleaned and cooked (made batches and batches of oatmeal pancakes to freeze for during the week) and hung out in pajamas, because it was yuck outside. Sophia was a great helper, and Amelia hung out on my back. Literally. (please forgive no-makeup-pajama-Saturday-cleaning-mama from unflattering angle of three year old photographer!!)

Then today the weather was warmer, so we took a loooong walk and it was WONDERFUL! I love Spring. I'm cheesy into symbolism, and just everything about Spring and Easter is like one giant reminder that God always keeps his promises. So we ventured out to look at all the new blooms... first Amelia was in the stroller and Sophia was walking

then Amelia wanted OUT

and walked with us

and they ran

and climbed

but stayed well hydrated

and Sophia spent a great deal of time explaining to me all about baby birds and new leaves and tiny flowers

then Sophia got tired and ended up in the stroller

At the end of the walk, Sophia was in the stroller and Amelia was on my shoulders - too bad there was no one around to take a picture of THAT. I'm sure I looked perfectly graceful trying to keep a two year old monkey from launching herself off my shoulders while steering the stroller.

When we got home, Sophia drew

a turtle!

Not only were they tired tonight, but this is what they ate between 5:30 and 7:30 pm (I am NOT kidding!!) Sesame noodles, chicken, and snow peas. Then seconds (I'm talking entire adult portions). Then a peanut butter and jelly sandwich each. Then grapes. Then some more sesame noodles. Then a cup of yogurt. And a tall glass of milk each.

Happy Sunday Y'all!!