A Memorial Day Giveaway!

We have a house full of guests all weekend (yay!) in preparation for Henry's baptism tomorrow. We are having a barbecue tonight for our families and a brunch for everyone tomorrow. So we are busy, busy, busy and I haven't had much time to blog (and won't for a couple more days) SO, to pass the time and celebrate the long weekend (and beginning of summer vacation for us!) I thought I would do my first giveaway! Please comment - not many people do, so you'll have a good chance of winning ;)

A while back, I did a post about some of our favorite children's books. Well, for his baptism Henry got the SWEETEST book from Amelia's teacher and I wanted to tell you all about it. It's called Bear in the Air. It's a brand new book that was just published this month, but it feels just like a classic - I know it will become one!

So you can get your very own copy and/or some other summer reading, I am giving away a $30 Barnes and Noble to one randomly selected commenter. To win, tell me

What is your favorite (or current favorite) children's book?

Blessings and have a great Memorial Day! Winner will be announced on Tuesday sometime (my first day back to work in the office, so probably late).

Julie's Chicken Salad

This is my friend Julie's recipe, and it's SO yummy on croissants. My friend Ashley who moved away earlier this year (I miss her so much!) came through town for lunch on Saturday, and I made this.

Chicken Salad

2 whole chicken breasts, baked with taragon, salt and pepper (I was short on time, so I bought 2 grilled chicken breasts at Kroger), chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups red grapes, cut in half (Julie uses green - personal preference)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh taragon
2 Tbs finely chopped red onion
3-4 Tablespoons mayonnaise (start with 3, taste, add more if needed)

Mix and serve with croissants. Can be made the day before, if you're more on top of things than I am.

Angry

When Henry gets mad, first he sticks out his lower lip, and then he starts to scream, and while he's screaming he shakes his little pinky finger at you.

(see the pinky?)

It's just about the cutest thing in the world. Lucky for him, the minute he begins waving that little finger around and sticking that little lip out, at least two or three people come rushing in to see what he might need.

Tough Questions

My dad, Sophia, Amelia and I went for a walk in an old graveyard in Louisiana last weekend. Sophia has been wanting to go visit a graveyard for a while, and this one was old and beautiful. It was a peaceful, shady place to walk, and also gave us an opportunity to talk about history and families and allowed her a little reading practice.

But it also meant answering some tough questions at 8:20 a.m. Monday morning. One of the graves we saw had a small white gravestone, with a little lamb engraved on it. Sophia asked some questions about it, and we discovered that a six day old baby girl died in 1886. Sophia didn't say or ask much about it at the time, but I know her (because she is a clone of me at that age), and I knew she would be thinking about that baby for a long time.

Sure enough, in the car on the way to school, she asked

Why did that baby die?
What was that baby's name?
Was the baby a boy or a girl?
How old was that baby when she died?
Why do you think she died?
Do you think it hurt when God picked her up?
Is it just the bones and the skin that go in the ground?
How come more babies died a hundred years ago?
Do you think she had brothers and sisters?
Do you think her family is still alive?
Were they happy to see her in Heaven?
Was she still a baby when they saw her in Heaven?
Do babies in Heaven cry?
Do you think her mommy had another baby after she died? (I didn't tell her this - the mom died 2 years later, at age 27)

But my favorite question came last, after I had answered all of her other questions (or at least tried to, as honestly but reassuringly as possible), as we were pulling into the school parking lot...

Can we pray for that baby and her family?

And we did. And Sophia let it go and was able to walk into her classroom with a smile on her face.

It makes me so happy that Sophia wants to pray for others and that she stops to pray throughout the day, rather than thinking that prayers are just for dinner or bedtime. When we see an ambulance, we stop and pray for whoever might be needing it. I am so proud of her for being such a caring, nurturing soul. Since she was a toddler, she has been so compassionate and empathetic.

Sweet girl.

Unlimited Babies

I just read a birth story on another blog... and I would just give anything to be 9 months pregnant right now. I feel so super sad that I'll never give birth again. Those last days of pregnancy, that magical anticipation and all that planning - oh, it's my very favorite thing in the whole world. Until. Until the day I do the most amazing thing I'll ever do and I push a little person from inside of me into the world, and I get to meet my sweet baby. There's no experience on earth that can compare. Hospital birth, home birth, first baby, third baby, complications, no complication, it doesn't matter - the purest happiness.

But the thing is, there's only a finite number of times we can do it. Even if I had another baby, afterwards I'd still long to feel that way again. I don't think having an unlimited number of babies is the solution.

Right?

Road Trip Boy

I was a little nervous about making the 5 hour trip to visit my dad with Henry, because he hasn't really been happy in the car. I'm used to traveling with the girls, who have always been great at road trips. During carpool every day, as I'm waiting to pick up the girls, Henry WAILS. Nothing makes him more mad than a car standing still!

But he did GREAT! We moved him from his infant seat to the rear-facing Marathon car seat, so he could look out the window and stretch out a little more. He slept most of the way, and was just generally a sweet, happy camper.

Here he is, mid-road trip diaper change

The girls did great too and we had a wonderful time with my dad.

Now we're ready for the rest of the summer - we'll be taking a trip (with Daddy this time) to Wisconsin next month, and then I'll be taking the kids to Texas to visit friends in August.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

I forgot to get a sitter. I remembered, then I forgot again, then it was too late. So we all went out to dinner and had a fabulous time!

Somehow it seems like a perfect way to celebrate nine years of marriage.

Summer and Joy

This is our first year of summer vacation with the kids, and as the girls are finishing the end of their preschool school year, I am finding myself filled with this happy tingle of anticipation. Normally the heat of Arkansas takes it all out of me, and I dread the long hot days ahead. But this year, as the days get warmer, I get more excited - flip flops, sprinklers, popsicles, pajama days, road trips, swimming, cucumbers, birthday parties (our little friends have a disproportionate number of summer birthdays)... and then, Kindergarten.

One of my favorite things about motherhood is the new eyes it has given me. I see every season and every holiday differently now, and it is such a JOY.

Christmases are more magical than they have ever been - a combination of the wonder of childhood Christmas with the deeper understanding of adult Christmas. Easter is more holy than it has ever been - this year in Sophia I saw the profound change that happens when you first fully realize what Jesus did for us, and I relived it myself. I've never been a big fan of Halloween (sorry) but I find myself starting to think about costumes in September and getting excited about carving jack-o-lanterns. And then there are those "little" holidays - Sophia told me the other day that she was really sad that St. Patrick's Day was so far off, because having green lemonade at Chick Fil A was her favorite thing EVER (so of course I whipped up a batch of green lemonade). I can't remember ever looking forward to 4th of July fireworks this much, but remembering how much the girls loved them last year - I can't wait!

Before I had kids, I often found myself looking ahead negatively at the season to come. Dreading the heat of summer, ice storms and Christmas shopping madness that comes with winter. But now, each season brings with it so much to look forward to.

I am counting down the days until Summer Vacation 2010 - we have a few trips planned, a couple of day camps and swimming lessons, but mostly we're looking forward to days of just sitting in the kiddie pool. Getting sticky on homemade ice cream and rinsing off in the sprinklers. The farmer's market. Taking Henry for his first swim. Spending a whole day with a pile of construction paper, some scissors, and a glue stick. Eating salads for dinner. Lemonade (green or otherwise).

And then, believe it or not, I'm already looking forward to the fall. I love the school where Sophia will be going in the fall, and rather than dreading the start of Kindergarten, I am so excited! Seeing her walk up those school steps in her little uniform, off to conquer the world, I will be so proud. This fall my brother (the one who got married last summer) and his wife will be having a baby, and I'm SO excited about that! It will be my kids' first cousin on my side of the family, and I can't wait for them to meet at Thanksgiving.

Sophia grabbed a box of red velvet cake mix at the grocery store and asked me whether she could make cupcakes by herself. I told her yes, and you would have thought she won the lottery. It's so much easier to find happiness in the small things, and to slow down and enjoy the moment, when you have little kids around.

I am so thankful for these new eyes. I'm thankful to my children for helping me remember what pure anticipation feels like. I'm thankful that I am being reminded that each day is a gift. When Sophia was a baby, I prayed all the time (and I still do) that I would be able to see the world through their eyes - that I remember what it was like to be four years old. I wanted to remember so that I could be a better mother to them, but I'm learning now that I'm the one who is truly benefiting from this new perspective. Sure, I might be a little more patient or understanding, but mostly I'm just filled with more JOY.

Henry's Nursery - the details

I love Henry's room, because it follows my number one decorating rule: buy/use things you love. Everything else will fall into place. Beyond that, I didn't have much of a plan. I was inspired by this room.

Above his door, I strung a rope and hung up the sweet cards that were sent to Henry when he was born.

Henry's crib is the third crib we've had to buy. We have three children. I don't understand. I have friends who are using the same crib after four or five kids. I have friends who are using cribs from when THEY were children. But no, my kids have BROKEN each of their cribs. And so far, the more expensive crib broke faster. So we went cheap again this time.

I sewed the crib bedding - out of an old Target sheet. The hippo blanket came from this Etsy seller.

I have two pieces of art above the crib - both of which I need to re-frame into bigger/better frames, but I wanted to get them up, so I used what I had. This precious robot

was drawn by Sophia for her brand new baby brother the day after he was born. I love "his button" on top of his head.

This little cutie

came from this Etsy seller. There are SO many cute things in her shop!

You might remember that caterpillar - he brings a HUGE smile to my face every time I see him!

Amelia made him at school, based on her favorite book - The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Below the picture, I used a picture ledge as a little book shelf. I originally wanted to frame some book covers like Meg did in her guest room that I love... but I just never got around to it (bed rest put a crimp in some of my plans!) and I thought this way we could just switch out the books and actually take them down to read them when we wanted to! The Happy Lion was one of my favorite books (in German) when I was a little girl, and now my kids love it.

You can't really see it, but that brown cushion on the loveseat under the shelf, is actually a Boppy. I got the cover from this Etsy seller and I LOVE it! Much, much nicer than the ones you buy at stores. It's that minky fabric - so soft and thick.

We are using a very old, hand-me-down cheap Target dresser as a changing table. I hung this bathroom shelf above it to hold wipes and things, since the dresser isn't very big. The cute little apples burp cloth also came from this Etsy seller. One of my favorite things is the little red crochet bowl on the top shelf. It holds pacifiers right now, although Henry has moved onto his thumb, so I'll probably be getting rid of those soon. I got the bowl from this Etsy seller (I like Etsy, can you tell?) And oh my goodness, Henry's sweet elephant, he was a very, very special gift - my friend Jodi sewed him!

The light switch cover came from this Esty seller.

The memo board came from this Etsy seller. Despite my friend Susan saying that babies don't get many memos, we'll put it to good use ha ha! Right now it holds his birth announcement, though the girls have already started sticking notes up there for Henry.

I love Henry's baby book. I do tend to spend more money on their baby books, but I've always gotten ones I really loved, and not regretted it. They will be so special to them and their children some day (or, in Henry's case, his wife and children!) I got his book and extra pages to go in it, from this Etsy seller. The robot was in his Easter basket, and I got it at Crackerbarrel - I love their little shop for Easter basket and Christmas stocking stuffers!

You'll probably notice that his room will evolve much over the next year. Right now all of his toys are in a wicker chest (which I got off a curb in high school!) at the foot of his crib. We'll be putting more of them out when he gets old enough to play with them.

Henry's Nursery

Getting Worn Out

Am I the only one who does this? I have these grand plans to wear my children out... but in the end I'm the one who's more exhausted?

Tuesday and Wednesday night I ended up working late into the night, so this afternoon I decided to spend a couple of hours wearing the kids out so we could all go to bed early tonight. I picked Sophia's best friend, Zoe, up from her school and we headed to The Wonder Place, which is a really fun indoor play place/children's museum.

Sophia and Zoe made sandwiches and ice cream for Amelia at their restaurant

and went grocery shopping.

They played at the water table

They put on a play for me

and then they found a little girl and her nanny and made them (seriously) put on a play for them ha ha!

Did a little arts and crafts

and played with blue sand.

(see, this is about two hours in, and they're not at ALL worn out yet!)

Build towers.

Played vet.

Hmm - tired?

Henry had fun too! He spent about 15 minutes playing with the baby in the mirror - they kicked and batted and laughed at each other.

Had a little tummy time.

Worked on his posture.

But even he wasn't tired after all that! So, after a pit stop at Sonic for a giant grape slush

we headed to the park.

I told them, "see that field over there? GO! RUN!!"

Henry was tired

I was tired. But the girls? NO WAY!

I'm taking all three kids to visit my dad in Louisiana tomorrow, while Davis stays home to work and do some painting around the house. I'm really excited about seeing my dad, but not so excited about the 5+ hour car ride. We've done it lots of times with the girls, but Henry isn't very fond of car rides, so it could be interesting.

Have a great weekend! GOOD NIGHT!

Henry Benry

Our little three month old (I'm trying not to be sad, in my mind three months is the end of "newborn" - on to new adventures! I actually love this older baby age SO much, it's just sad, thinking about not having a newborn... ever again)

Sophia calls him Henry Benry. Amelia calls him "my little buddy" or "buddy boy" - she says it so lovingly, it really doesn't sound like she's talking to a puppy, I promise!

What's he up to these days? He's talking - a lot! Despite two chatty sisters, he might actually turn out to be a talker. His favorite phrase "ah goo, ah goo." I couldn't agree more. (Sorry about the camera angle - I had to do that so he wouldn't see the camera - if he sees a camera, he gets that deer in headlights look)

He LOVES sleeping across my lap. It's his favorite thing in the whole world.

He's wearing 3-6 month clothes, and we just went up to a size 2 diaper today. He's sleeping great at night, usually just waking up once. Daytime sleeping, not so much his cup of tea. Also not, car rides. This is somewhat troubling, because we have three vacations scheduled this summer and they all have one thing in common - road trip!

Henry has the most awesome round belly. Even when he was a scrawny preemie, he had it.

His gross motor skills are awesome. Really, I promise I'm not one of those moms who always thinks her baby is a genius. But I can tell you - he does stuff the girls didn't do at this age. He started rolling from his tummy to his back at one week old, and he's been rolling the other way for a few weeks already. His head control is pretty great and if you prop him up, he can sit pretty well too. This is pretty amazing, considering he pretty much gets held constantly.

He's the kid who has to burp every time he eats. The girls weren't like that. Luckily Sophia is a champion burper, and she pretty much volunteers to burp him every time I feed him. She also bathes him, which is great - when she does it, he smiles and loves it. When I try to bathe him, he screams his head off. I have this plastic bath seat thingy (http://www.diapers.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?productId=18673) and I just put it in the tub with a few inches of water, and Sophia sits in there with him and lovingly washes him (with my help of course). Amelia is a pretty awesome sister too - she can make him SO happy just by holding him and talking to him. He's one lucky little guy!

We're so blessed to have him too - he sure brings immeasurable joy to our lives! He's my little bear. I call him that because he growls and snores, and he paws at and nuzzles into me when he's nursing and reminds me of a little bear cub.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my blogging friends (and real friends who are also blogging friends!) I feel so lucky to have all of you to draw inspiration from and share this mommyhood journey with!

I also feel so privileged to me a mother. It truly is the biggest honor ever, that God chose me to be the mother of these three precious souls (one of whom was sleeping when this picture was taken this morning)!!

This morning I got the best gift from my family - I got to sleep in! Then the girls gave me their sweet presents that they made for me. And after church the boys stayed home and napped while the girls and I went out to lunch.

Now we're baking scones. What a beautiful Sunday.

I hope yours is too!

Proud

Sophia had her end of the year program yesterday - all the kids did so great! It was pretty intense, just the number of songs they did, and I think they all did perfectly.

(confession though: if I never hear I'm a Grand Ol' Flag again, it would be okay. I did hear some of these songs every day, all day long, for many, many, many weeks.)

She's such a big girl. I'm super proud of her. I just can't believe he's weeks away from finishing preschool already!

Her self portrait

Sophia with her teacher, Ms. Bonnie, who we LOVE. Love, love, love.

Afterwards, they had a little cake reception. Amelia was all about that.

Sophia and some of her BFFs

It was also Henry's three month birthday yesterday, and I thought I'd try to get a picture of all three kids. That didn't go over so well.

Today was GORGEOUS. Seriously, amazingly gorgeous!

I took the kids to the playground, and when we were walking back to the car, I was carrying Henry and the girls were holding hands, and this woman walking her dog said "what a beautiful family!" She came up and told me my children were lovely and I was doing a good job, and she wished me a happy mother's day. It totally made my day.

My goal tomorrow: make another mom's day by saying something encouraging. I've said it before, but we have got to stick together and boost each other up!!